Marked Book One: The Beginning
by Praise You In The Storm
Summary: Whispers have been filling the heads of warriors within the four Clans. The Marked have arrived, bringing with them a torrent of storms not even the Three can stop. Full Summary inside. Please read and review!
1. Allegiances

**Brightwhisker: **Yay I finally decided to start this!

**Galacia: Um, this is just the alliance page.**

**Brightwhisker: So what? Readers will get to know who is who, and what has happened since Night Whispers. Which by the way, had such a sad ending :(**

**Galacia: Why Erins? Why must you be so cruel to Tawnypelt? *Bawls***

**Brightwhisker: Okay...Anyways, here is the allegiance, and summary :D**

**Summary: **Whispers have been filling the heads of warriors within the four Clans. A time of trouble is coming, trouble that is far worse than the Dark Forest. Only four who have been Marked can save the Clans from impending doom. Four who are Marked with powers beyond one's imagination.

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_T H U N D E R C L A N_

LEADER: Bramblestar - dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

DEPUTY: Graystripe - long-haired gray tom  
**Apprentice: Pricklepaw**

MEDICINE CAT: Jayfeather - gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

WARRIORS:

Dustpelt - dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm - pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Brackenfur - golden brown tabby tom  
**Apprentice: Honeypaw**

Cloudtail - long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart - white she-cat with ginger patches  
**Apprentice: Silverpaw**

Thornclaw - golden brown tabby tom

Millie - striped gray tabby she-cat

Squirrelflight - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes  
**Apprentice: Batpaw**

Spiderleg - long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Birchfall - light brown tabby tom  
**Apprentice: Rainpaw**

Whitewing - white she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose - cream colored tom

Mousewhisker - gray and white tom

Poppyfrost - tortoiseshell she-cat

Cinderheart - gray tabby she-cat

Lionblaze - golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Foxleap - reddish tabby tom

Icecloud - white she-cat

Toadstep - black and white tom

Blossomfall - tortoiseshell she-cat

Bumblestripe - very pale gray tom with black stripes

Dovesong - pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Ivypool - silver and white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

Molewhisker - creamy brown tom

Cherrypelt - ginger she-cat

APPRENTICES:

Batpaw - small black tom with green eyes and a gray muzzle; son of Toadstep and Dovesong

Silverpaw - pale gray she-cat with silver-tipped ears and amber eyes; daughter of Toadstep and Dovesong

Rainpaw - gray and white she-cat with amber eyes; daughter of Toadstep and Dovesong

Pricklepaw - mottled brown tom with amber eyes

Honeypaw - golden tabby she-cat with white paws

QUEENS:

Ferncloud - very pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat with green eyes; expecting Dustpelt's kits

Hazeltail - small gray and white she-cat; mother of Lionblaze's kits; Copperkit (dark ginger she-cat with green eyes), and Mallowkit (small gray-brown tabby tom with amber eyes)

Rosepetal - dark cream colored she-cat; mother of Bumblestripe's kits; Shrewkit (gray tabby tom with cream-tipped ears), Timberkit (dusky brown tom), and Hollykit (tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes)

Daisy - long-haired cream colored former kittypet

ELDERS:

Purdy - plump tabby tom with a gray muzzle

_S H A D O W C L A N_

LEADER: Rowanstar - ginger tom

DEPUTY: Smokefoot - black tom

MEDICINE CAT: Littlecloud - very old small tabby tom  
**Apprentice: Hawkpaw**

WARRIORS:

Toadfoot - dark brown tom  
**Apprentice: Fallowpaw**

Crowfrost - black and white tom

Ivytail - black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

Ratscar - brown tom with a long scar across his back

Kinkfur - long-haired tabby she-cat with fur that sticks out in all angles

Snowbird - pure white she-cat  
**Apprentice: Frostpaw**

Tawnypelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Owlclaw - light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot - gray she-cat with black feet

Scorchfur - dark gray tom

Redwillow - mottled ginger-brown tom

Tigerheart - dark brown tabby tom

Ferretleap - creamy gray tom

Pinefrost - black she-cat

Starlingfeather - ginger tom

APPRENTICES:

Hawkpaw - brown and ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Frostpaw - white tom with yellow eyes

Fallowpaw - light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

QUEENS:

Applefur - mottled brown she-cat; mother of Ratscar's kits; Flowerkit (tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes), Spiderkit (dark brown tabby tom), and Vinekit (brown and white mottled tom)

Olivenose - tortoiseshell she-cat; mother of Scorchfur's kits; Bluekit (mottled dark gray tom) and Webkit (dark gray spotted tom)

Dawnpelt - cream furred she-cat; expecting Owlclaw's kits

ELDERS:

Oakfur - small brown tom

Cedarheart - dark gray tabby tom

Snaketail - dark brown tom with a tabby-striped tail

Whitewater - white long-furred she-cat; blind in one eye

_W I N D C L A N_

LEADER: Onestar - brown tabby tom; oldest leader around the lake  
**Apprentice: Sootpaw**

DEPUTY: Crowfeather - dark gray tom

MEDICINE CAT: Kestrelflight - mottled gray tom  
**Apprentice: Fallenpaw**

WARRIORS:

Owlwhisker - light brown tabby tom

Nightcloud - black she-cat  
**Apprentice: Yellowpaw**

Weaselfur - ginger tom with white paws  
**Apprentice: Stonepaw**

Harespring - brown and white tom

Leaftail - dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Antpelt - brown tom with one black ear

Emberfoot - gray tom with two dark feet

Sedgewhisker - light brown tabby she-cat

Swallowtail - dark gray she-cat

Sunstrike - tortoiseshell she-cat with a large white mark on her forehead

Whiskerfur - light brown tabby tom

Furzeleaf - gray and white she-cat

Boulderclaw - large pale gray tom

APPRENTICES:

Fallenpaw - ginger she-cat with darker ginger paws, pale green eyes

Yellowpaw - golden brown tabby tom

Sootpaw - very pale gray she-cat with amber eyes

Stonepaw - gray tabby tom with yellow eyes

QUEENS:

Heathertail - light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes; mother of Rockkit (black and brown tabby tom with amber eyes), and Goldenkit (pale brown she-cat with black patches around her eyes)

Gorsetail - very pale gray, almost white she-cat with blue eyes; expecting

ELDERS:

Whitetail - small white she-cat

Ashfoot - gray she-cat

Tornear - very old tabby tom

_R I V E R C L A N_

LEADER: Mistystar - gray she-cat with blue eyes

DEPUTY: Reedwhisker - black tom

MEDICINE CAT: Mothwing - dappled golden she-cat  
**Apprentice: Willowshine**

WARRIORS:

Icewing - white she-cat with blue eyes

Duskfur - brown tabby she-cat

Mosspelt - tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Minnowtail - dark gray she-cat  
**Apprentice: Loudpaw**

Pebblefoot - mottled gray tom

Mallownose - light brown tabby tom  
**Apprentice: Duskpaw**

Robinwing - tortoiseshell and white tom

Beetlewhisker - brown and white tom

Grasspelt - light brown tabby tom

Hollowstorm - dark brown tom

Troutfur - pale gray tabby she-cat

Mossypool - brown and white she-cat

Rushtail - light brown tabby tom

APPRENTICES:

Willowshine - gray tabby she-cat

Duskpaw - ginger tom

Loudpaw - dark brown tabby tom

QUEENS:

Petalfur - gray and white she-cat; mother of Pebblefoot's kits; Stormkit (dark gray and white mottled tom), Nightkit (black and gray she-cat), and Streamkit (silver tabby she-cat)

ELDERS:

Graymist - pale gray tabby she-cat

Mintfur - light gray tabby tom

Dapplenose - mottled gray she-cat

_C A T S O U T S I D E C L A N_

Leafpool - light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes; former ThunderClan medicine cat


	2. Prologue

**Brightwhisker: Here's the prologue :D I've been busy trying to catch all the stupid stinkbugs in my room, which is why it has taken me a while to write this up.**

**Galacia: *Is busy watching Sailor Moon***

**Brightwhisker: - - Some friend.**

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_P.R.O.L.O.U.G.E_

Silvery strands of clouds stretched across the moonlight sky. Stars surrounded the moon as it shed its silvery light above the lake. The air was bitterly cold, thanks to the northern winds that swept across the forest. Frost had already touched the leaves of trees, killing just about any plant within its grasp. Shadows danced along the forest floor as creatures searched for places to rest. Their movements were urgent. It was a sign that this leafbare would be worse than any other.

A lone mouse had found a small hole in the earth. His instincts told him to fight for the prime nest. Spots like these were often difficult to find, especially for a smaller creature like him. Yet he held back. Something else was lurking within the hole, waiting to strike. The mouse was about to turn tail and run when a sudden flurry of claws and teeth met his end. It was a killing blow to his neck, and he didn't feel any pain.

The attacker was a powerfully built golden tabby tom. Sharp amber eyes pierced through the silvery darkness as others joined him. A gray tabby she-cat and a black and white tom had also been hunting in the same area. Both had prey in their jaws; a thrush and a shrew. Their catch was small, compared to what they could normally catch. They would have to go out later in the morning if they wanted to feed their Clan.

"When do you think the frost will end?" asked the black and white tom. Despite his young appearance, he made a formidable warrior. The other Clans had been forced to back away from him during confrontations at Gatherings. To his Clanmates he was friendly and boisterous, like any other tom. This was what had made him popular in the Clan.

"It'll end when leafbare ends," replied the gray tabby. She was older than the golden tabby. At one point he had shown affection towards her, but that all went downhill when he told her his secret. That he couldn't be harmed in battle. Their relationship had ended bitterly when the golden tabby fell in love with another. The gray tabby refused to speak with him, even when they were on patrols.

"That's all you could catch?" The sharp mew came from a dark brown tabby who had been guarding the camp. He eyed their measly catch suspiciously.

"Sorry Dustpelt," meowed the golden tabby. "Most of the prey decided to hide in their burrows while we went out on a moonlight hunt."

He hated the idea of hunting at night. Night hunting was a technique used by ShadowClan, and he preferred to keep it that way. It was Bramblestar who had decided to take night hunting as an opportunity to fill the fresh-kill pile. Most of the prey a ThunderClan cat ate though hid during the night. The golden tabby had done everything he could to appease the new ThunderClan leader. It was his only chance of becoming deputy.

"If you ask me we should be patrolling the borders, not hunting prey," muttered the gray tabby.

She shook her pelt and padded towards the fresh-kill pile, dropping the shrew as she did so. The golden tabby followed as his other companion did the same. He was desperate to find out how his mate had done tonight.

The reason he'd been chosen to lead the patrol was because she'd been giving birth. After listening to her piercing cries, the golden tabby had become a nervous wreck. Graystripe, the current deputy, had forced him to leave. The long-haired gray tom had told him that he would only make things worse.

He flicked his tail and trotted towards the nursery. The warm scent of milk reached his nose. It was an unfamiliar scent.

The last time he'd been in the nursery was when he had been a kit. Those memories were nothing but bitter sorrow to him.

"How is she?" he asked as he entered the nursery.

Another, smaller gray tabby was crouched beside a small gray and white she-cat. Her belly had lost half of its weight. At its side, were two tiny bundles of fur. Another unfamiliar feeling of pride swelled within the new father as he joined them.

"She's fine, Lionblaze," the gray tabby replied. "It all went smoothly."

"You can stop worrying about me," the she-cat purred. "It's their names you need to worry about."

She shifted her body a little. Lionblaze studied the two kits carefully. Neither of them looked anything like their mother. One was a dark ginger kit, with a strange mark on her tail. The other was a small gray-brown tabby tom with a white-tipped tail. Both looked more like him than their mother.

"Why don't we name the dark ginger one Copperkit?" he asked. _I don't think Firekit is a good choice_, he thought guiltily.

Firestar, the former ThunderClan leader, had died two moons ago. The flame-colored leader had been killed by the jaws of a passing fox that had threatened the entire forest. It was only thanks to him that it had disappeared. Most of the Clan had gotten over his death. The death of a leader was a sad one, but life had to move on. Lionblaze still had yet to believe that was true. The memory of Firestar would always live on in ThunderClan, no matter how hard cats tried to push it away.

"Copperkit is a perfect name," the queen murmured. "Why don't we name the tom Mallowkit," she suggested.

"Copperkit and Mallowkit." Lionblaze breathed the words out. It felt as though StarClan themselves were looking down upon the two new kits of ThunderClan.

Suddenly he felt a sharp tug on his tail. Lionblaze whirled around, only to see that the gray tabby was glaring at him.

"I need to speak with you," he growled.

Lionblaze blinked in confusion as he disappeared from the nursery. He glanced over his shoulder. His mate was grooming Copperkit, who had wriggled from her spot. He knew that she would notice his disappearance, but it was only temporary. It must be urgent if the medicine cat had called him like that.

"What is it Jayfeather?" he demanded as he followed his brother.

The gray tabby turned around and faced Lionblaze. His hackles were rising. "There's something unsettling about Copperkit," he meowed. "I couldn't tell at first what it was, but now I think I understand."

"Why are you acting like something is wrong about my kits?" Lionblaze snarled.

He didn't want his kits to suffer what he and his siblings went through. The sacrifices they made. Neither of his kits deserved the same fate as he and Jayfeather, or Dovesong for that matter.

"She is Marked." Jayfeather whispered the word Marked. Lionblaze felt his fur stand on end when Jayfeather stared him in the eyes. "The Marked have come, bringing with them a storm even greater than ours. Four there will be, and a rise of power will come."

Jayfeather's shoulders suddenly sagged. Lionblaze leaned forward, resting his tail tip on them. "If what you say is true, than there are others like Copperkit?" he asked.

"She is not alone," Jayfeather replied. "There are three more like her, and more to come."

After his vision had cleared, Jayfeather calmed down a bit. Lionblaze could sense the unease rolling off of his brother. The Marked had arrived. A storm was coming, far greater than their own. And there was nothing the Three could do to stop it.

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**Brightwhisker: Finally I got this prologue done! I'd say it's my longest one yet.**

**Galacia: So? I've written far longer prologues. I think my longest one was two thousand words ;D**

**Brightwhisker: You never published it, so it doesn't count :P Anyways, please leave a review! Anyone who does will get a Lionblaze plushie!**


	3. Chapter 1: First Sight

**Brightwhisker: Chapter One here we go!**

**Galacia: Shall I reply to our reviewers?**

**Brightwhisker: Na I'll do it.**

**To ilfbehwh: Thanks for your review! Actually I've noticed in the books that almost all cats in ThunderClan are related to each other in some way. Basically this is called inbreeding, and can become a severe problem in real life. But for the story's sake, I won't add any real problems. Thank you for letting me know anyways :D**

**Galacia: Wow, real informational.**

**Brightwhisker: I know right? Anyways, here's the first chapter!**

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_C.H.A.P.T.E.R.O.N.E_

Voices echoed all around Copperkit as she woke up. They were filled with worry as cats began to wonder why her eyes had yet to open. To her they sounded like bees buzzing around her. Nothing more than a soft drone. She wanted to reassure them that her eyes would open. That she wasn't a helpless soul looking for attention. She could easily take care of herself if she needed to. Hazeltail, her mother, was just overly worried.

A paw prodded her side. She felt the jab and mewled in annoyance. Mallowkit was pestering her again. He constantly pushed her into things she didn't want to do. Like opening her eyes when she wasn't ready. For now she chose to ignore him. Sometimes ignoring Mallowkit was what made him give up.

"Come on Copperkit!" he whined. "Hazeltail said we could explore camp if you open your eyes!"

_The camp_! Copperkit's whiskers twitched slightly in excitement. Thoughts of exploring the world and discovering new things always made her excited. She dreamed of leaving the Clan to find more adventures. Hazeltail would have felt devastated though if anything happened to her. Copperkit knew better than to even think about leaving.

Slowly but surely she opened her eyes. At first her vision was clouded, until her eyes became adjusted to the bright light filtering through the nursery entrance. She heard Mallowkit call it the sun one day. Thoughts of what Hazeltail had whispered to them coursed through her mind. Their mother had made certain they knew most of what happened before they opened their eyes.

Now Copperkit could finally see the nursery for herself. It was much bigger than she expected. But somehow it felt warm and cozy, despite the large size. There were two other queens laying on moss covered nests. Copperkit saw that there were three tiny bundles, even smaller than herself, suckling from a dark cream colored she-cat. She recognized the cat as Rosepetal, from Hazeltail's description. The other two queens didn't have kits, according to Hazeltail. Copperkit could only see another queen, who was pale gray with darker flecks. Her belly was larger than Rosepetal's.

"Her eyes are open!" Mallowkit's mew broke Copperkit's thoughts. She turned to look at him.

Mallowkit was smaller than her, in kit standards. He had fluffy gray-brown fur. His eyes were a bright amber, while the tip of his tail ended in white. Seeing his eye color made Copperkit wonder what hers looked like.

"Well done little one." Hazeltail's soft voice reached Copperkit's ears. The queen bent down and nuzzled Copperkit affectionately. "Were you just waiting?" she asked.

"Yes." Copperkit blinked in surprise when she heard her own voice for the first time. It had come out in a squeak, something she didn't expect.

Hazeltail purred in amusement at her daughter's reaction. Copperkit jumped to the side when she heard Mallowkit approaching. He landed on his front paws in a grunt.

"How can you hear so well?" he muttered. "Can we go outside now?" He turned his attention to Hazeltail and looked at her pleadingly.

"Yes, I think you two are ready," she replied.

The two kits looked at each other excitedly. Mallowkit was the first to rush out of the nursery. Copperkit rolled her eyes and followed more slowly. She didn't want to rush into things like Mallowkit. He was in a hurry to grow up.

Copperkit's eyes widened when she saw the camp for the first time.

It was a large hollow, with a tree that covered most of it. High walls surrounded them. The tree itself was covered in thick layers of moss that had grown over time. The sun had begun to cast a shadow over the clearing, where cats milled about.

A pale gray she-cat with silver-tipped ears was returning with a larger white she-cat with ginger patches. Both carried something within their jaws. Small furry creatures that made Copperkit's mouth water. She watched enviously as the pale gray she-cat grabbed a bird from a pile of other creatures.

"Hey Silverpaw!" Mallowkit called from the nursery entrance.

The pale gray she-cat looked up in surprise at the kit's voice. "Oh, you opened your eyes," she meowed. "I'll tell Lionblaze."

She dropped the bird and rushed over to a large den. Copperkit could see many cats moving about inside it. One cat in particular caught her attention. His muscles were what had given him away. She recognized him from Hazeltail's description. It was Lionblaze, their father.

He rose to his paws after Silverpaw had approached him. Copperkit couldn't help but wonder whether she looked good enough for him. Hazeltail had warned her that Lionblaze could be rather tough on kits.

Copperkit watched as Lionblaze approached him. She wasn't sure what to expect. Some part of her told her that he would treat her like a father. Another part told her he expected her to act like a warrior from day one.

"I was wondering when my kits would open their eyes," he said when he finally reached them.

"_She's_ the reason we took so long," Mallowkit muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Copperkit would have cuffed him around the ears had Lionblaze not been there. Instead she glared at him piercingly. Mallowkit wasn't even bothered. "I was just biding my time," she told him.

"We would have been in the nursery for moons had I not pushed her," Mallowkit snorted.

"That's enough you two." Lionblaze gently rasped his tongue over Mallowkit's ear. "Why don't you explore the camp? I'm sure that Purdy has a good story for you."

When neither of them argued, Lionblaze led them around. He showed them the fresh-kill pile, which was in fact, the pile of creatures Copperkit had seen earlier. She grimaced when she saw that their eyes were still open. Yet they were dead.

Lionblaze took them to the elders' den, where Purdy slept. Much to their disappointment, he'd been asleep at the time. Lionblaze had decided not to wake him up. Apparently elders could get cranky if they were woken up at the wrong time.

The golden tabby stopped when he reached a puddle. Copperkit peered around him when she saw her reflection. She stared at the image in surprise.

A pair of dark green eyes gleamed back at her. They were the same eye color as a dark ginger she-cat that had passed by them. Lionblaze had looked away from that she-cat so quickly that it startled Copperkit.

_I wonder what that was about_, she had thought. Clearly there was deep tension between Lionblaze and that warrior. Most of the Clan had regarded the warrior with respect when she padded by. Only a few had glared at her coldly.

Her thoughts were broken once more by a loud yawn. She looked at Mallowkit suspiciously. His eyes were growing heavier by the moment.

"I think it's time for these two little kits to sleep," Lionblaze purred when he noticed Mallowkit's expression.

Mallowkit didn't complain when he was carried by the scruff. Copperkit followed Lionblaze back to the nursery. Her paws had grown heavy by the time they were finished exploring the camp. Soon she too would fall asleep at her mother's belly.

After finally settling down around Hazeltail, Copperkit closed her eyes. Her mother's soothing voice was what had lulled her to sleep.

"Sleep now, dear one," Hazeltail whispered. "The sun will rise again for you."

Copperkit wriggled slightly as her mother spoke. She knew that she was safe within the confinements of her Clan. Nothing could hurt her here. And nothing ever would.

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**Brightwhisker: So what did you think?**

**Galacia: Hm...Not bad. Actually this reminds me of Bluestar's Prophecy, only it's not as well written XP**

**Brightwhisker: I own nothing except for this book :D Please review, and those who do will get Copperkit plushies!**


	4. Chapter 2: Visionary

**Brightwhisker: Here's chapter two! Already!**

**Galacia: Man, three chapters in a row?**

**Brightwhisker: I'm bored, what else is there to do?**

**Galacia: Well, you could be doing your homework, or study, or read :D**

**Brightwhisker: *Laughs uncontrollably* Yeeeeaaaahhhh. Anyways, to my reviewer:**

**I think it's funny that all cats are sort of related. There's a bit of everything in all of them. Stormfur and Feathertail had ThunderClan blood. Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather had WindClan blood. Each Clan is linked together by their own blood. Kind of ironic if you think about it ;P**

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_C.H.A.P.T.E.R.T.W.O_

The panicked cries of warriors echoed around Flowerkit's ears. She hissed in frustration as she saw flashes of cats whisk by. The stench of blood made her nose wrinkle in disgust. Battle was in the air. ShadowClan was the target. Flowerkit winced when she heard her mother's wail. She wanted it to stop. She wanted to know why these nightmares kept coming. Why StarClan couldn't stop them from coming.

Suddenly the flashes of cats skidded to a halt. One cat turned around and faced Flowerkit. Her hackles stood on end when she realized that the cat was a light brown tabby. Not a cat from her Clan. Scars were etched around its face, and the stench of kit blood rolled off of her in heavy waves.

_Why would you kill kits_? Flowerkit thought weakly. A look of desperation lit within the tabby's amber eyes. Though Flowerkit sensed danger, she couldn't help but feel sorry for it. Another cat had given this tabby scars. Scars that could not be mended with words.

"Flowerkit!" The tortoiseshell flinched when the tabby spoke. "Flowerkit, wake up!"

The images began to melt before her. Flowerkit blinked when she realized that she was back in the nursery. Her siblings were watching from the side. Their eyes were wide with terror. She guessed that it was Applefur who had woken her up.

"Oh thank StarClan you're awake," Applefur murmured when she saw her daughter had woken. Almost instantly Flowerkit began to relax as her mother's tongue massaged her flank. The nightmare she had was already fading into a dim memory. Visions like these came and went for young Flowerkit. She wasn't sure where they came from, or what they meant.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You woke the whole Clan up," Vinekit muttered crossly. Flowerkit was surprised that he had woken up at all. Her brother could have slept through anything. "Littlecloud had to shut you up by waking Applefur."

"That's enough, Vinekit," Applefur scolded. "We should be thankful that she is safe."

The brown and white kit grumbled something Flowerkit didn't catch. She ignored him and went on grooming her unkempt fur. It had been ruffled by her dream. A dream that seemed far too vivid for such a young kit.

At five moons old she and her brothers were already formidable kits. They could easily take care of themselves if needed be. Applefur had made sure that they knew how to defend themselves in case of an invasion. Flowerkit didn't like the idea of fighting though. All of it seemed to end pointlessly. To her the power of healing a cat was much more appropriate. Sadly though, Littlecloud already had an apprentice.

_Stop wishing unnecessary deaths_, she scolded herself. Littlecloud was a good cat, and deserved to be treated with respect. He'd been around for many seasons, even back when the awful Brokenstar had been leader.

Flowerkit shivered when she thought of Brokenstar. The former leader had been a tyrant, according to elder tales. He had ruled the forest with an iron paw. Nothing could stand in his way, until Firestar came into the forest. Brokenstar had been kicked out of his own Clan, and stripped of his name after Firestar discovered what he had done. Than after a couple of moons living as a rogue, he had attacked ThunderClan. It was only thanks to Yellowfang, medicine cat before Runningnose, that Brokenstar was now dead.

"You three will make fine warriors," Applefur purred as Vinekit pounced on Spiderkit. Flowerkit dodged to the side as Spiderkit rolled on his back submissively.

"I'm the great Tigerstar!" Vinekit squeaked. "I'm going to rip your throat out and feed it to dogs!"

Spiderkit wailed in horror until Applefur cuffed Vinekit over the ears. "That's enough," she hissed. "Such language is not allowed in the nursery."

Vinekit's whiskers drooped in disappointment as Spiderkit settled down. Flowerkit couldn't help but purr in amusement as her brothers began to fight again. This time over who would have made a better Blackstar.

_I'm glad I don't have to think about that_, she thought. She didn't want to become leader. The thought of being responsible for an entire Clan was just too much for her. Medicine cat duties were much more interesting to her.

A sudden bolt of pain flashed through her body. Flowerkit hissed in agony as it reached her head.

Images filled her mind. A large figure stood over the body of Rowanstar. Rows of eyes looked on in shock and dismay. The figure stood and began to address the Clan. Flowerkit saw an image of herself, crouched before the great figure.

"This is the darkness that comes," it announced. "A terrible time of danger is rising, one that not even the Three can stop. Only the Marked have the powers to stop it."

Flowerkit gasped as the images faded. She was back inside the nursery the next instant. Applefur was watching her in a curious gaze. Vinekit and Spiderkit stared at Flowerkit with opened mouths.

"What happened?" Applefur asked.

"I-I don't know." Flowerkit stammered over the sentence. Her small frame shivered as she pictured the dark feline figure standing over Rowanstar's body.

"We should take you to Littlecloud," Applefur whispered.

When Flowerkit didn't argue, the mottled brown queen herded her towards the medicine cat's den. Flowerkit couldn't meet the gazes of her Clanmates. She saw Ratscar staring at her suspiciously. Did he think that she was the traitor? She didn't want him to become distanced by her visions. It wasn't her fault they happened. Somehow they had come to her when she least expected it.

Applefur stopped when she reached an uprooted pine tree. Flowerkit could see the small form of Littlecloud as he sorted through herbs that Hawkpaw had found. The brown and ginger apprentice was nowhere to be seen. And for once, Flowerkit was grateful.

"Come in," Littlecloud rasped.

The pair stepped forward, only to be whisked in by Hawkpaw. "Careful, he's been coughing lately," she murmured.

Littlecloud's eyes, which had filmed over in his last years, flashed angrily. "I have not!" he snapped. "I am perfectly healthy. And besides, I have patients here." He padded forward, guided by Hawkpaw's tail. "What seems to be the problem?"

"It happened again," Applefur explained. "The...you know what."

The small tabby's fur stood on end and he looked at Flowerkit in shock. "I thought that would have cleared by now," he meowed. "I'm afraid there isn't much I can do for your daughter at this point. StarClan are protecting her if she has lived this long."

When Applefur glared at Littlecloud, Hawkpaw stepped in between them. "Maybe there's an herb that can stop these visions?" she suggested.

"Herbs will do nothing." Littlecloud shook his head. Suddenly the fur along his neck bristled, making him look twice his size. Flowerkit tilted her head to one side when he stared at her paws. "Those paws of yours, have you looked at them?" he demanded.

Flowerkit shook her head, feeling waves of confusion crash over her.

"Lift your paws." Littlecloud's command was too much for the poor kit. She shivered as she did what she was told.

Much to her shock and dismay, there _was_ something on them. Something that made her heart pulse faster than normal.

A glittering swirl was etched within her pads. Both sides had the same marking. Flowerkit couldn't help but stare at them. There was something almost unworldly about the way they glowed. Something that made her wish they'd never come.

"She is Marked," Littlecloud wheezed. "A Marked kit has come to ShadowClan!"


	5. Chapter 3: Apprentices

**Brightwhisker: Finally I got this chapter finished! I apologize for the delay, but I've decided that updates will only happen once or twice a week. This is so that I can focus on adding more detail to my fics, and make them even longer than they already are.**

**Galacia: Wow, long author's note.**

**Brightwhisker: Hey, readers have a right to know what's going on.**

**Galacia: You're gonna put this on your profile, aren't you?**

**Brightwhisker: Most likely :P**

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_C.H.A.P.T.E.R.T.W.O_

Morning rays of sunlight filtered through the nursery. Rockkit blinked when he realized that the sun had risen. Today was the day!

Excitement coursed through him as he rose to his paws. Onestar had come into the nursery the other day. Apparently he had been there to check on Heathertail's kits, who had just reached their sixth moon. Rockkit was one of them.

He gazed at his sibling. Goldenkit was smaller than him, and less muscular. She would make a fine queen when the time came.

"I will be the next leader," Rockkit mumbled.

For the last couple of moons he'd dream of becoming the leader of WindClan. Heathertail had told Rockkit stories of cats who had led WindClan before. There was Tallstar, a leader who'd been alive before Firestar had joined. Heatherstar had been the leader before the famous Bluestar was born. All of these stories had been passed down from cat to cat. Rockkit knew that Heathertail had heard these stories from Whitetail, her mother.

The kit stretched out his back. Soon Onestar would call a Clan meeting, ending his life as a kit. Being stuck in the nursery bored him anyways. It wasn't like Heathertail spent much time with her own kits. In fact, the queen had spent less and less time away from her kits as they grew older.

"Good morning little one." Gorsetail's warm purr made Rockkit turn around to face her. Her belly was plump with kits. Kestrelflight had told her that it would be another moon until her kits finally arrived.

When Gorsetail looked away, Rockkit slipped out of the nursery.

Camp itself was a large clearing. Warriors and apprentices slept outside during the night. Their nests were made of bracken and patches of moss. Rockkit was looking forward to sleeping out in the open, under the gazes of StarClan. He wanted to feel close towards his ancestors.

He spotted a patrol returning from a hunting trip. Harespring, Swallowtail, and Emberfoot all had prey in their jaws. Rockkit was surprised that Swallowtail had managed to catch a small bird. She rarely caught anything during a hunt.

Stonepaw and Yellowpaw were practicing their moves again. Nightcloud watched her apprentice keenly.

Rockkit felt sorry for Yellowpaw, despite how haughty the golden brown tabby could be. Nightcloud was difficult with every cat in the Clan. She'd been this way since Breezepelt, her crazed son, was murdered. Most of the Clan avoided her nowadays. Only Leaftail tolerated her.

"I bet you can't catch me in a race," Stonepaw meowed.

"I'll make you eat those words," Yellowpaw sneered. The two began to wrestle with each other, until a lean looking ginger tom with white paws stepped in between them. Rockkit watched with interest.

Weaselfur was an older warrior. He had experience in fighting, and giving orders. Rockkit almost wished that the ginger warrior was his apprentice. Most young cats looked up to him and respected him.

The two apprentices scoffed at each other before stopping their fight. Weaselfur shook his head. "You two need to learn how to get along," he growled. "One day those fights could get serious." He looked at Nightcloud, who was crouched over a frail looking rabbit. The black she-cat seemed to ignore him and continued taking big chunks out of her meal.

"Let all cats old enough gather around the Smoothrock for a Clan meeting!" Onestar's voice echoed across the clearing.

Rockkit's heart skipped a beat. This was it! Finally he would get to become an apprentice! The thought made his belly turn as Goldenkit emerged from the nursery. Her pelt was well groomed, most likely by Gorsetail. Heathertail ironically was no where to be seen.

As far as Heathertail went, Rockkit could care less. Gorsetail had been more of a mother to them than anyone else. He would have rather her be his mother than Heathertail any day.

Cats had gathered around a smooth boulder, where Onestar stood. Crowfeather, the deputy, sat at the bottom of the boulder. His blue eyes gleamed as the Clan gathered in small groups.

"By naming apprentices, we show that our Clan will remain strong. Come forward you two." Onestar flicked his tail towards Rockkit and Goldenkit. The pair stepped forward until they had reached the Smoothrock. "Rockkit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Rockpaw. Harespring, you are ready for an apprentice. You had a fine mentor in Weaselfur, and I expect you to pass on what you have learned to Rockpaw."

Rockpaw whirled around as the brown and white tom emerged from the crowd. He never expected Harespring to be his mentor. The young warrior was energetic and strong-willed in battle, but he often got himself in trouble because of it. His reckless attitude was the cause of many troubles. The two touched noses, as all newly named mentors and apprentices did. After their first exchange was finished, they settled down in the crowd.

"Goldenkit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Goldenpaw. Sunstrike, you are ready for an apprentice. You have shown courage and stamina in battle, and I expect you to pass this on to Goldenpaw."

Goldenpaw's eyes widened in shock as a tortoiseshell she-cat stepped forward. Rockpaw tilted his head to one side, surprised by Onestar's choice.

Sunstrike was a tough opponent in battle, but she was stern. Her raw attitude had made most toms shrink away from her. He would have expected a more gentle warrior to mentor his sister. Like Swallowtail or Sedgewhisker.

After the pair did the same exchange as Rockpaw and Harespring, the meeting drew to an end.

Rockpaw lifted his head as the Clan departed into their daily chores. He was an apprentice now. That meant he was one step closer to becoming the leader of WindClan. It looked as though Crowfeather would have to watch his back. Because there was going to be stiff competition between them as Rockpaw got older.

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**Brightwhisker: Hope you liked it! Please remember to review, and thanks to those who have :D**


	6. Chapter 4: A Shocking Beginning

**So there are quite a few major changes to my story. I've decided to put an end to my pointless author's note. Which means that I will leave it to this. Please remember that writing has become part of my life, and I plan on writing a whole lot more after this book. Also I'd like to thank Through Another's Eyes for writing her amazing fics. They've inspired me to improve my writing, and make longer chapters. I hope you enjoy :D**

**Chapter 4**

"Come _on_ Nightkit, hurry up!" Stormkit called to his smaller sister, Nightkit.

He ducked when she leaped forward, nearly clawing his ears off in the process. Stormkit growled in frustration. She was always trying to do things like these. Lately her latest pranks had involved him. That was one thing Stormkit couldn't tolerate. The two of them were constantly bickering, and Streamkit didn't help. The silver tabby often got involved in their arguments. This one just happened to be their latest argument.

"We're gonna be late," she hissed playfully. "And it's all _your_ fault!" She turned around to face him. Stormkit met her stare squarely. She could taunt him all she wanted, but they weren't going to get her anywhere.

A growl rose within his throat. Streamkit was busy chasing her tail. Their mother, Petalfur, watched them cautiously.

Petalfur didn't have the same experience as other mothers. This was her first litter, and she was the only queen in RiverClan. Luckily she had the help of Icewing, since the white she-cat had no apprentice to take care of. Icewing was actually the mother of Petalfur, which made her kin to Stormkit, Nightkit, and Streamkit. It also meant that Beetlewhisker and Grasspelt were kin to the three kits as well.

_We sure have a lot of kin_, Stormkit thought with a flick of his ears. He wondered if any of them would be his mentor. Mistystar often chose cats who were best suited for their apprentice. She was a wise leader, with plenty of experience. Most cats respected her.

Loudpaw and Duskpaw were practicing their swimming and fishing skills near the stream that cut through camp. As kits they had learned too never fear the water. Fish were a staple diet. Thanks to the type of prey RiverClan cats ate, their pelts became sleek and glossy. The water from rivers or streams would just run off of their pelts like an otter. Stormkit himself loved the water, and couldn't wait to learn how to battle in it.

He squealed irritably when a paw swiped across his muzzle. Nightkit sneered at him.

"What's the matter, _little_ brother?" she asked innocently. "I thought you could face anything, even _me_."

Stormkit's fur began to bristle as anger churned his belly. He wasn't going to put up with her constant jibes any longer.

He crouched in front of her, preparing to spring. Nightkit was more irritable than a tick. She needed to be taught that he wasn't going to let her get away with taunting him. She let out a squeak of surprise when he leaped forward. Though his claws were sheathed, Stormkit could nip at her ears. Nightkit hissed fearfully when he barreled into her. Stormkit yowled in triumph as she raced away.

No longer was he going to be called the weaker of his siblings. Nightkit had just run away from him.

The sudden cuff around his ears was what had made Stormkit wince. He whirled around when he realized Petalfur had come to stop them from fighting. Her blue eyes were icy as she looked down at her son.

"That's enough," she told him. Her scolding made Stormkit flatten his ears. Nightkit only glared at him as she moved to her daughter next. "The both of you need to learn how to get along," she added. "One of these days your fighting could get worse."

When Stormkit didn't reply, Petalfur flicked her tail over his ears. He continued glaring at his paws as she groomed Nightkit. Streamkit bounced at her side, eager to have her fur groomed by their mother.

Streamkit was nothing more than a monkey-wrench thrown into a well-fueled cat. She constantly got herself into trouble by following Nightkit around. Most cats had begun to ignore her, but her boisterous attitude was getting on Stormkit's nerves. One day she had even put mousebile on his nest, something he would never forgive her for. Of course the idea had been Nightkit's, but she always seemed to do what Nightkit told her.

Nightkit on the other hand was an entirely different story. She was a leader, not a follower. It was her who came up with most of the ideas. Even Mistystar, who was usually fair with most cats, had begun to take a keen interest in her. The very thought of the Clan paying more attention to Nightkit irritated Stormkit. It only made things worse when she understood that the Clan was watching her.

All of their watching would come to an end though once their apprentice ceremony took place. Mistystar had come into the nursery the previous day, announcing that there would be three new apprentices in RiverClan. The moment her news had slipped the three kits couldn't sleep.

As soon as Mistystar had left the nursery, Nightkit began to describe who her mentor would be. She was hoping Mistystar would become her mentor. Stormkit had scoffed at her, saying that the odds of Mistystar becoming her mentor were one in a million. He already knew that he would have a common mentor. He just hoped that it would be someone who actually knew how to train an apprentice.

Mistystar herself was casually grooming her already sleek fur. Reedwhisker sat at her side. The two were most likely discussing issues over borders. Or what ever it was leaders and their deputies talked about.

Mothwing and Willowshine were always busy. Stormkit could see Mothwing now. It looked like she was shifting through piles of herbs that had been collected by her apprentice. Her pelt had become gray and ragged looking after seasons of being the medicine cat of RiverClan. Stormkit was surprised that she hadn't asked to retire. After all, Willowshine was more than capable of taking care of the Clan.

Stormkit squealed indignantly when he felt his mother's tongue rasp over his fur. He didn't want to be treated like a kit anymore! After today he would be an apprentice, and a good one at that!

"I don't want my kits looking like they have a careless mother," she murmured in between grooming.

Mistystar was rising to her paws after Petalfur had finished. Reedwhisker gave his mother a firm nod and joined Mosspelt near the warriors' den. By now most of the Clan had returned from their daily chores. Loudpaw and Duskpaw had finished cleaning out the elders' den and were sitting side-by-side, sharing a fish.

"Let all cats old enough gather around the Willowtree for a Clan meeting!" Mistystar's call rang throughout the clearing. All cats looked up from what they were doing as their leader called for a meeting. The three elders dragged themselves out of their den. When she was certain that her Clan was watching, she continued the meeting. "It is time for one of my favorite duties, and one that has been passed from generation to generation. Three kits have reached their sixth moon, and they are ready to become apprentices. By naming apprentices we show that our Clan will remain strong. Come forward you three." Mistystar flicked her tail towards Petalfur's kits, who were now dancing in place.

Stormkit nearly tripped over his paws as he followed his sisters. His heart was beating rapidly as he thought of the possible mentors available.

"Stormkit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw. I am ready for an apprentice. I will be your mentor."

By the time she finished her sentence, Stormpaw's jaw had dropped. He could feel the scorching glare of his sister as Mistystar jumped down to rub his nose. Mistystar purred in amusement when she sensed his shock. When she was finished with her exchange, she leaped back onto the branch of the willow tree. Not really knowing what else to do, Stormpaw remained where he was.

"Nightkit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Nightpaw. Mosspelt, you have mentored many fine warriors, and were a mother yourself. I expect you to pass on the knowledge you have gained to Nightpaw."

Nightpaw was still fuming as Mosspelt rubbed noses with her new apprentice. Stormpaw couldn't help but feel the same surprise she felt. Never did he expect Mistystar to become his mentor. The idea was still a shock to him. After their exchange was finished, Mistystar turned to Streamkit.

"Streamkit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Streampaw. Pebblefoot, you are ready for an apprentice. You were a fine mentor to Grasspelt, and I expect you to pass this on to Streampaw."

After the meeting drew to an end, Stormpaw settled down. He waited for Mistystar to finish speaking with Duskfur.

Apparently her patrol had found something near the border. Something that spelled disaster for the Clan. Stormpaw had noticed how worried the brown she-cat looked as she returned from a patrol. When Mistystar nodded in understanding, Duskfur stalked away, looking quite furious with the RiverClan leader. Mistystar shook her head and sighed.

What ever that something was, it must not have been too severe. Stormpaw just hoped that it didn't interfere with his training.


	7. Chapter 5: The Thrush

**So here's another Copperpaw chapter! I have to say she's one of my favorite characters so far. I hope that everyone else will grow to like her. Oh, and just to warn you, this chapter is a bit odd. Hopefully you'll understand where I'm going with it.**

**Chapter 5**

Warm sunlight bathed Copperpaw's pelt. She yawned and stretched out her back. This was her second day as an apprentice, and already she was feeling the pressure of it all. Her mentor had shown her the territory for most of the other day. Speaking of which...She groaned when she saw the lithe form of Cinderheart emerge from the darkness of the warriors' den. The gray tabby was proving to be a formidable mentor, but she had already snapped at Copperpaw twice today.

"...Coming soon." Copperpaw's ears pricked when she realized Cinderheart was speaking to Jayfeather. "We must keep an eye on her, and don't let her do anything that could jeopardize the prophecy."

Waves of guilt rolled across Cinderheart. Copperpaw wondered why they would need to keep an eye on her. Jayfeather had already announced that she was Marked. According to the medicine cat, a Marked cat was gifted with unusual powers. Though Copperpaw didn't know what her powers were yet, she knew they would come in time. As all Marked cats would.

"Should we really keep this from her and Bramblestar?" Cinderheart asked cautiously. "I mean, the leader of ThunderClan has a right to know what's happening to his apprentices."

Copperpaw ducked her head when Jayfeather spun around to face her. She didn't want him to know she could hear him. Of course that didn't mean he already knew. Jayfeather had more than one way of finding out whether or not a cat was eavesdropping on him.

"And what do you think we will tell him? That Copperpaw is going to destroy the Clans?" Jayfeather scoffed at his own words, causing Copperpaw to flinch. "These cats aren't ready to accept that there is one with more power than us. I won't allow panic to take over the Clan."

Jayfeather turned back towards his den, ignoring Cinderheart's gasp. Copperpaw flattened her ears. She knew what was coming before it even happened. Cinderheart would take her frustration out on her apprentice. That was how things seemed to work around the Clan.

Cinderheart shook her head. She knew that Jayfeather could be fickle sometimes, but this was worse. Keeping secrets from the Clan leader felt like breaking the warrior code. After listening to Hollyleaf complain about it for so many moons as an apprentice, the code had been embedded into her brain. Now Cinderheart could recite every part of it. She had seen how Copperpaw acted around the warrior code after reciting parts of it to her apprentice.

Her apprentice didn't want to be part of the warrior code. That was what it felt like. So she tried to act tough around Copperpaw. Everything, it was all an act. Mostly because of the way Lionblaze had forgotten about her. Copperpaw reminded Cinderheart so much of Lionblaze when he was an apprentice. She had the same attitude, and protective nature.

The gray tabby sighed. No one ever said love would be easy. Especially if the cat she loved was one of the Three. She never stopped loving him. But some part of her told her that falling in love was wrong. That something terrible would happen if she did.

"Copperpaw!" she called. She could see her apprentice crouching near a thorn bush. Copperpaw's ears were flat against her skull. Slowly she emerged from the other side, tail dragging behind her. "You've done nothing wrong, but I would like you to clean out the elders' den today. It hasn't been finished yet." She looked past Copperpaw and towards the elders' den, where Purdy rested.

The former loner had fit in well with the Clan over the last few moons. Ever since Mousefur had died though, he seemed to be getting lonely again. Cinderheart knew that the apprentices liked to keep him company when they could. It was time Copperpaw learned to do the same.

Copperpaw ducked as she fled towards the elders' den. She didn't know why Cinderheart and Jayfeather would have discussed such matters. It felt as though the prophecy was meant for Bramblestar's ears as well. She could tell that Cinderheart didn't want to keep the prophecy a secret. But Jayfeather's lips remained pursed as she trailed towards Purdy, who had risen from his nest.

"Well, looks like an apprentice finally came," he meowed when she approached. "My nest is gettin' old and dusty, and I would like some fresh-kill. A mouse will do."

He tilted his head when Copperpaw did as he instructed. Much to her disgust, his nest was covered in gritty sand. Something she would have rather kept away from her.

She winced as she gathered the moss under her chin. Purdy was busy grooming himself. He wouldn't notice if she disappeared for a while.

After collecting as much moss as she could, Copperpaw padded out of camp. The other apprentices had been watching her with amused expressions. Most cats rarely carried moss the way she did, tucked under her chin. This was the way Copperpaw preferred it. That way she could carry more if needed be.

Birdsong and the sounds of prey running through the undergrowth carried across the forest floor. Copperpaw dropped the old bedding near a patch of nettles. Purdy wouldn't miss it if she found him fresh bedding to sleep on.

A sudden flurry of wings caught Copperpaw's attention. She looked up to see a small, delicate looking bird hopping about the branch of a tree. The sound of its feathers was almost soothing, much to Copperpaw's surprise. She enjoyed listening to their beats as the bird searched for tiny insects inside the bark. It was like listening to the purrs of her mother as Hazeltail washed her kits.

_I wish I could fly around like that_, Copperpaw thought as she watched it fly to another branch. _I could see the whole world if I flew_.

Just the very thought of exploring the world made her fur crawl in anticipation. Once she was old enough, she could do what ever she wanted. To her being part of the Clan was nothing but a burden. All she would get to do was worry about when she would have to feed the Clan. Or find a mate, which was something she spat at. The idea of becoming a queen at a young age appalled Copperpaw.

As she imagined her life as a bird, she didn't notice the changes around her. Instead of thinking like a cat, Copperpaw began to think of eating insects and protecting her young. Soon her fur began to change, until feathers took over. Her body became unbearably light. It was as if something had replaced the heavy muscles that helped her in a fight. She ignored the moss that had somehow been placed in a patch of nettles. The birdsong was too much for Copperpaw.

With a great flap of her newly formed wings, Copperpaw found herself reaching the branch the bird hopped around on. She blinked when the bird had stopped hopping. A look of sheer disbelief crossed his expression.

"Y-you're not from around here!" he screeched.

"I actually am," Copperpaw chirped. "But I don't know what you are. Or your name." She tilted her head and was surprised to find that she couldn't remember the reason she'd been in the forest the first place.

The bird's tail flapped in confusion. "Well, I am a thrush," he replied. "I've been hiding here because there was a cat stalking in the undergrowth. I thought it was after me." He fluffed up his feathers to make himself look larger.

"A thrush," she repeated. So that was what she was.

She imagined living in the hollow of a tree, or a nest at the edge of a thick branch. Down below she saw the forest swarming with life. Insects and mice seemed to be in all places. Nearby she spotted a cat moving swiftly through the thick undergrowth. Its lithe form sent a terrifying jolt through her. She was grateful to be up in this tree, rather than down there.

"What's your name?" she asked once the cat had trotted out of view.

"Weaver," he replied. "My mother's name is Hickory, and my father's name is Loon." When the bird lifted his wings, she thought he was about to take off. Than he looked at her curiously. "You failed to mention your name, however," he added.

"I..." She flinched when she realized that she couldn't remember it. Something told her that deep down her name was different from his. "I don't remember," she admitted after moments of mulling over it.

"Copperpaw!" The young thrush squawked in surprise when she heard a primitive yowl. _Copperpaw_...The name sounded familiar, and it had a nice ring to it. Suddenly all of Copperpaw's memories came flooding back. The image of a furious Cinderheart crossed her mind as she remembered the reason why she was out here. She was a cat, not a thrush. Yet her instincts were telling her to fly with Weaver, who had already taken off. For the first time since she could remember, Copperpaw ignored her instincts and flapped down towards the forest floor, only to meet an angry patrol of cats.

Cinderheart, Lionblaze, and an overly worried Hazeltail were part of it. She saw the tiny form of Mallowpaw crouched beside Hazeltail as the former queen searched for her. Copperpaw barely had time to react as her body changed once more, into the form of a cat. She groaned inwardly as her belly churned in confusion. What ever just happened was going to happen again, whether she wanted it to or not.

"There you are!" Hazeltail's disgruntled mew broke the icy fear that had formed around Copperpaw. "Where were you, and why do you smell like that tree?"

When Copperpaw didn't reply, Lionblaze stepped forward and gave her a gentle nudge. "She's fine, Hazeltail," he murmured. "Lets get her back to Jayfeather so he can check on her."

After a few words were exchanged, Hazeltail finally agreed. She and Lionblaze worked together bringing Copperpaw back. When Bramblestar had asked what happened, it was Cinderheart who explained everything.

Hazeltail gently placed her daughter on a freshly collected pile of moss in Jayfeather's den. The gray and white queen had been worried sick about her daughter all day, and here she was in the medicine cat's den. She didn't trust Jayfeather one bit, but she knew that he would find out what was wrong with Copperpaw. She just hoped that none of this would permanently damage Copperpaw. Or the Clan, after it was only just recovering from the attack of the Place of no Stars.

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**Wow, this was my longest chapter yet! Maybe with the author's note it'll reach two thousand. Anyways, so Copperpaw's powers have been discovered. Or part of them. I actually had fun writing about her powers. Flowerkit's will be just as fun, and so will Stormkit. Rockkit is the one I'm not looking forward to. Please review!**


	8. Chapter 6: StarClan

**I guess I'll be updating twice a day. Man, I'm really enjoying writing this story! It's beginning to actually get good. Maybe this will also help increase my reviewing status as well. I hope that everyone likes this chapter, even though there is a major time skip.**

**Oh, and I already have a sequel planned out for this if it goes well. So please let everyone know about it!  
**

**Chapter 6**

The half moon glowed above the trees of ShadowClan. Flowerpaw sighed as she stared at it. Her life as a warrior apprentice had gone horribly wrong when she was given Redwillow as a mentor.

Redwillow was tough and ill-tempered around younger cats. Flowerpaw had learned this the moment she left the camp with him. Luckily though Spiderpaw and Crowfrost had been with them. Otherwise Redwillow could have been much worse.

She had just watched Hawkpaw leave with Littlecloud, the elderly medicine cat of ShadowClan.

All cats knew that he was going to retire soon. Tonight Hawkpaw would most likely earn her full medicine cat name. Flowerpaw envied the apprentice for being a medicine cat. She longed to help cats, rather than attack them.

"What's the matter with you?" Frostpaw's questioning mew broke her thoughts. She turned to look at him, feeling slightly undaunted by his larger appearance.

Frostpaw was three moons older than her, and had been apprentice much longer. But in reality he was actually fun to talk to. Spiderpaw looked up to him in a way that he couldn't look up to Ratscar.

"I was just wondering when Littlecloud and Hawkpaw would come back," she meowed.

If cats could grin, Frostpaw's would have been wider than his mouth. "I bet you just want to know if he's retiring," he purred.

When Flowerpaw's eyes widened in dismay, Frostpaw purred even louder. She couldn't help but share his amusement. Unlike his sister, Fallowpaw, Flowerpaw really could get along with him. She hoped that they could be friends even if she did become Hawkpaw's apprentice.

The two sat there for a while longer. Flowerpaw sighed once more and decided to go to her nest.

Her nest was between Vinepaw and Fallowpaw. Both apprentices were fast asleep. She circled around the den several times until she settled down.

Frostpaw had joined them by the time she was asleep, but she didn't notice. Sleep finally overcame her.

**. . .**

Flowerpaw's eyes opened when she heard voices whisper around her. She lifted her head slightly as her vision became clear.

Instead of finding herself in the apprentices' den, as expected, she was in a large clearing. A pool sat in its center, and there was a cat sitting in front of it. Flowerpaw's eyes narrowed slightly when she saw the familiar form of Hawkpaw standing on the other side of the pool.

"What do you mean?" Hawkpaw was asking. "I already thought the Clans went through enough when the Three was involved with StarClan."

"I understand your fear, Hawkflash," meowed the cat who sat in front of her. "Most cats have a hard enough time dealing with normal lives."

Hawkpaw - Hawkflash, mumbled something Flowerpaw couldn't catch. The tortoiseshell and white apprentice crept forward so that she could hear. Fear and curiosity made her wonder what was going on.

The cat who sat in front of Hawkflash was a thick-furred dark gray cat. Her face looked squashed, like something had pushed it in.

Flowerpaw's ears pricked forward. She was desperate to find out what was going on between these cats.

"Hawkflash, the Marked are coming, and there is nothing you can do about it," growled the StarClan cat. "With powers that rightfully belong to StarClan, they must be guided properly."

"Listening to conversations that aren't yours?" Flowerpaw's fur stood on end when she heard another voice from behind. She whirled around to see that it belonged to a young looking ginger tom with the same eye color as Tawnypelt. "Though it isn't against the warrior code, I don't recommend it," he added.

"Who are you?" Flowerpaw asked. The initial shock had died down, but she was still wary of this cat.

"My name is Flametail," he told her. "I was once the medicine cat apprentice of Littlecloud, but that life ended."

His voice held no regret, much to Flowerpaw's surprise. She would have been furious if her life ended earlier than she wanted. Maybe StarClan had called him sooner than he anticipated as well.

"How did I get here?" Flowerpaw wanted to find out how she really ended up here. Was she did? Or was this just a dream sent by StarClan?

Flametail cocked his head to one side. Even he seemed baffled by her sudden appearance.

"Well, you have that unusual leaf mark on your forehead," he said. "Maybe that means you can communicate with us like Jayfeather."

Flowerpaw stared at him in shock. She knew that Jayfeather was one of the Three. But she never thought that he had abilities that would let him speak with StarClan anytime he wanted. She wondered how such a cat could have lived long enough. Or why they were given such powers.

The StarClan cat rose to his paws after he had sat down.

"I think it's time for you to go home," he murmured when Flowerpaw yawned. She was feeling tired, but she wanted to hear what the older StarClan cat would tell Hawkflash.

Eventually though she gave in. Her eyes closed until the forest around her cleared. Soon Flowerpaw found herself back in the apprentice's den. She knew that she would find herself back in the clearing again.

**. . .**

A paw gently prodded Flowerpaw's side. She opened her eyes and groaned softly, wondering who could have woken her up.

When the young apprentice found herself back in the apprentices' den, she saw that it was Littlecloud who stood at her side. Her ears pricked forward as Littlecloud looked at her cautiously.

"We would like to have a word with you," he whispered.

_What time of the day is it?_ she wondered. The other apprentices were still asleep. Frostpaw had returned soon after she fell asleep. She was surprised that everyone could sleep over his loud snores. A purr rose in her throat as she slinked out of the den.

Littlecloud had already disappeared in his own den. She could see the lithe form of Hawkflash crouched over a pile of herbs. The brown and ginger she-cat looked up and nodded to Flowerpaw.

Flowerpaw ducked under the fronds of lichen that grew over Littlecloud's den. He sat on his nest, which was had been clawed apart.

"Have you noticed the strange mark on your forehead?" Littlecloud asked quietly.

_He must not want Rowanstar to know what's going on_, Flowerpaw thought.

"Yes," she replied shakily.

"Hawkflash has spoken to StarClan, and they confirmed that there is something...unique about you." Littlecloud leaned forward. His nose rubbed against Flowerpaw's, causing her to flinch away from his rancid breath. "You are Marked, and have been given powers that are beyond the control of StarClan." Flowerpaw stared at him in shock. He just repeated what Flametail had told her, confirming that everything was true. "You must be guided," he rasped.

Even as he finished speaking Flowerpaw knew what he meant. Flametail had said the same thing. Even the older StarClan cat mentioned something similar. The Marked needed a guide. Someone who could show them how to properly use their powers.

What she didn't know was that their guide would come sooner than she expected.

**This chapter was written last night, but I never got around to uploading it. So here's the sixth chapter. I hope everyone liked it. And please, please leave a review? I promise to give you all Flowerpaw plushies :D**


	9. Chapter 7: Loner

**I'm getting better at writing longer chapters! But sadly I'm not very good at the whole training practice scenario. Maybe people could explain to me how to write it all out? Anyways, I will not be updating until I get at least five or four reviews. That isn't so bad, right?**

**Chapter 7**

Silvery strands of clouds swirled across the blue sky. Warm sunlight bathed Rockpaw's pelt as he followed Harespring to the training clearing. Two days had passed since he became an apprentice. Already he showed great promise, according to Harespring. During yesterday's 'border' patrol, he fought off a ShadowClan warrior that had sneaked into their territory. The warrior had been small though, and Rockpaw felt as though he had cheated by using his newly found powers.

As it turned out, the small mark on his left ear had glowed while he used the power he discovered. Now he could control the earth if he chose. Onestar had promised to give him special training, so that he could learn how to control his power. Kestrelflight had warned him that others might try to use it to their advantage. Of course, Rockpaw had chosen to ignore the medicine cat. He would never turn his back on a WindClan cat. Loyalty to his Clan came first.

Wind swept across the clearing as they approached. Goldenpaw and Sunstrike were already there, with Stonepaw and Weaselfur. The pair were practicing a move that WindClan cats were known for: The wind strike.

It was a move used by younger cats who didn't know very many defensive moves. A cat would have to find an area where there was little vegetation, and than suddenly strike at their enemy full speed. By now WindClan cats had learned other moves that didn't require such strategy.

"We'll be practicing the sweeping claw move," Harespring meowed as he entered the clearing. Both Weaselfur and Sunstrike had given them a wide birth. Now that most of WindClan knew about Rockpaw's power, they tried their best to stay on his good side. "The sweeping claw is a bit on the easy side, but it can help you win a battle," Harespring explained as he dropped to a crouch.

He swooped his paw downward, until suddenly striking up towards Rockpaw's muzzle. The apprentice jumped back with a yelp as claws unsheathed. Harespring purred in amusement when he noticed the expression on his apprentice's face. Rockpaw's eyes narrowed slightly.

"I shouldn't have unsheathed my claws," Harespring murmured. "It won't happen again."

_It better not_, Rockpaw thought with a low growl. A new-found confidence had sprung up since he discovered his power. If anything went wrong, or any cat fluffed his fur the wrong way, he could easily handle them. He knew that this wasn't what his powers were meant for, but he didn't care. So long as he gained the respect of his Clanmates, that was all that mattered.

The two cats continued practicing battle moves until the sun went down. By the time they'd finished, Rockpaw felt exhausted. Goldenpaw and Sunstrike had left the clearing to go hunting. Stonepaw was still there, but Weaselfur had gone a little further off. Harespring rose to his paws after practicing an advanced move that older apprentices used. The brown and white tom didn't look nearly as tired as Rockpaw felt.

"Why don't we do some hunting before we get back?" he suggested.

Rockpaw let out a low moan of distaste. He didn't feel the urge to hunt. But Harespring was already racing across the moors, towards a rabbit that had suddenly leaped out of its burrow. The young apprentice followed more slowly. Harespring would catch the rabbit before he could catch up anyways.

Harespring yowled in surprise when he felt the weight of another cat toss him to the side. Rockpaw's eyes widened in dismay when he saw what had happened. A thin light brown tabby had caught the rabbit in a single paw swipe. The rabbit squealed in shock as teeth met its flesh. The tabby made short work with its struggling and turned around to face Harespring.

"What are you doing?" he choked. "This is WindClan territory!"

Anger boiled within Rockpaw when he saw the tabby's fur bristle. "I saw it first!" she spat. "I could care less if this is WindClan's rabbit, I deserve it more than you do!"

Even as the two cats argued, Rockpaw felt his mind wandering towards a large boulder near Harespring. He knew that it was foolhardy to lift a rock that heavy. Everything could go wrong if he miscalculated where it landed. An eruption of yowl made all cats jump in surprise. Rockpaw's ears pricked forward when he recognized Crowfeather racing across the moor. Onestar was quick at his heals, with what seemed like the whole Clan.

The tabby's fur stood on end and her eyes became wild with fear. Rockpaw hissed in frustration when she fled past Harespring, knocking the young warrior over in the process. Her pelt had disappeared beyond the hills by the time Crowfeather's patrol reached Harespring and Rockpaw.

_Coward_! Rockpaw thought when he saw she had left the rabbit. It appeared as though the tabby had been starving, yet she was too terrified to defend her own kill. He would have clawed her pelt off had she been closer.

"What happened?" Onestar demanded when he finally caught up.

"That loner came across us," Harespring wheezed as he sprang to his paws. "But she carried the stench of ThunderClan," he added suspiciously.

Rockpaw rolled his eyes at the mention of ThunderClan. They were nothing more than a Clan full of kittypets and cowards. Onestar was constantly ambushing patrols to retake the forest that Bramblestar had claimed. A small stream ran through the forest, and it was the only source of water other than the lake around. On top of being cowardly, ThunderClan thought they were the greatest Clan around the lake. Just the very thought of the Clan made Rockpaw want to spit in their faces.

"Do you think it was Leafpool?" asked Furzeleaf. She had only been named a warrior two moons ago, yet she knew about cats like Leafpool.

According to what Heathertail had said, Leafpool vanished from ThunderClan once Bramblestar became leader. Most Clans hated the former medicine cat for what she had done. A look of sorrow and curiosity brightened Crowfeather's gaze.

_He can't still miss her, right_? Rockpaw wondered silently. The Clan had been in a state of shock when Onestar named Crowfeather as his deputy. Crowfeather had run away with Leafpool many seasons ago, but later returned after discovering a badger attack on ThunderClan. A few seasons later and the Clan had found out that he was the father of Jayfeather and Lionblaze. A traitor like him didn't deserve to be named deputy.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Onestar scoffed. "She's been hanging near the edge of ThunderClan for too long. We need to teach her a lesson." His claws unsheathed at the thought of punishing Leafpool for what she had done to his Clan.

Rockpaw couldn't help but agree with Onestar. The loner had a lot of nerve slinking around the edge of the Clans. She had no right to trespass. Much to Rockpaw's disdain, there were a few murmurs of disagreement.

"If we punish Leafpool Bramblestar will see this as an opportunity to attack," Leaftail growled. "We should bide our time and see what she is up to."

"Maybe she wants to ask for forgiveness," Crowfeather pointed out.

Onestar's amber eyes flashed angrily at his deputy's words. "I will never forgive her," he spat. "Firestar should have killed her when he had the chance. Instead he allowed her to live and become a warrior. Any leader who feels pity for a cat who broke the warrior code should be punished severely." The WindClan leader suddenly locked gazes with Rockpaw, who was crouched beside Harespring. A look of knowing passed his eyes.

Darkness had swallowed the moor by the time the Clan returned to camp. Swallowtail and Antpelt greeted the Clan enthusiastically.

"What happened?" The dark gray warrior asked.

Owlwhisker set her aside to explain everything. Onestar had told Rockpaw to meet him in his den when they returned. Already Rockpaw knew what he was going to ask. Or demand more likely. He could sense the anger Onestar felt towards ThunderClan. The betrayal the WindClan leader felt towards them.

"I know we shouldn't use your powers against an enemy Clan," he meowed after settling down in his nest in front of Rockpaw. "But Leafpool is no longer a Clan cat. She is stealing our prey, and has become nothing more than a nuisance to the Clan. If you are willing, I would like you to get rid of her. Permanently."

Rockpaw nearly choked on his own breath. He had expected Onestar to ask him to take care of Leafpool. But asking flat out was more than he could handle. He'd never killed a cat before out of cold blood. He glanced up at the starlit sky. Would StarClan approve of this?

"Do it for the sake of the Clan," Onestar whispered. "For the sake of Gorsetail's future kits."

Thoughts of Gorsetail and her future kits swam through Rockpaw. His claws unsheathed as he imagined what Leafpool could do to them if she found them. He couldn't let her near the camp. She had to be dealt with before any lives were lost. Yes. Leafpool would no longer be considered a threat once she 'disappeared'. He would take care of her, for the sake of his Clan.

**Hope you guys liked the ending. I thought I'd throw in Leafpool as bait for Rockpaw, because she was never my favorite character to begin with. I'm an avid Squirrelflight fan :D Plus she'll probably end up dying soon anyways...Please remember to review!**


	10. Chapter 8: Fishing

**I'm just going to say this now. This is definitely my favorite and best chapter as of yet. Stormpaw is a bit complicated to write about just because of his powers. And I hope you liked them. I'm debating whether or not I should make a list of their powers and markings just for the sake of this story. Anyways, thanks ilfbehwh for reviewing!**

**Chapter 8**

Stormpaw watched as Mistystar crouched over a stream. Her sleek gray-blue pelt had a healthy sheen as she waited for a fish to come. Three days had passed since Stormpaw became an apprentice. Since those three days, he had discovered that Willowshine was harboring a secret. Apparently the medicine cat had been keeping the fact that the swirling mark on his paw meant more than he realized.

Willowshine had warned Mistystar that there was power within Stormpaw. A power that could be used for good or evil. Now Stormpaw knew that was why Mistystar had chosen to mentor him. She didn't want any mentor to take advantage of his newly found power.

The fish that Mistystar was watching had been swimming away from them for a while now. Stormpaw was growing bored of waiting. He wondered if Mistystar would mind him disappearing for a couple of moments. He glanced down at the shimmering water as it swept by. Pebbles and rocks dotted the sandy ground beneath. Moss flowed with the stream. The water looked as if it was calling him.

The dark gray apprentice sighed. He desperately wanted to practice his swimming skills, but Mistystar had told him to wait. Stormpaw's eyes widened slightly when he saw a spark fly from beneath his paws. He glanced down to his paws, only to see sparks crackling beneath them. Startled by the sight, he jumped back with a frightened yelp. Mistystar was too busy paying attention to the fish to notice what was happening.

Still startled by the sight of sparks, Stormpaw stepped forward cautiously. His ears were pricked forward, and his whiskers stood on end. He was surprised to find that the sparks didn't hurt, like he expected. Without thinking about he he touched the sparks. He gasped in disbelief when the sparks erupted into streaks of lightning.

Carefully he thought of the fish that Mistystar was still watching. Her ears were pricked towards where he was. Somehow she seemed to ignore what he was doing. As his thoughts swam around the fish, the streaks of lightning suddenly moved their way towards it. Stormpaw yowled in surprise when the lightning struck the fish. It flopped around on the ground next to Mistystar until she ended its life with a quick bite.

"That was...unusual," Mistystar meowed after settling down. "Willowshine said you would be gifted with powers," she added with a swipe of her tongue around her muzzle.

"But I killed the fish!" Stormpaw exclaimed. "Shouldn't I be considered a danger to the Clan?"

A purr rose in Mistystar's throat. She tapped his shoulder gently with her tail and locked gazes with him. "I will not let you endanger the lives of my Clanmates," she murmured. "And besides, what harm can controlling lightning do?" Her blue eyes flashed when a cat approached them. It was Duskfur.

"ShadowClan have decided to move their border a little too close to ours," she warned the RiverClan leader.

Mistystar's fur began to bristle. Stormpaw blinked in surprise after the initial shock had died down. He would teach those ShadowClan scum a lesson or two. The dark gray apprentice didn't flinch when he felt Mistystar's tail on his shoulder.

"Show us where it is," she told the older warrior.

The three cats raced through the reeds until they reached a sandy area. Birch trees and a few willow trees grew around here. Stormpaw's nose wrinkled in disgust when he caught an unfamiliar stench rolling across the clearing. It stank of crowfood, and something else he couldn't describe.

Much to his amusement, a ShadowClan cat was stalking through the little vegetation that grew around here. It was a skinny looking black and white tom with pale amber eyes.

His tail was kinked high as he emerged from a fern that grew between two boulders. Others were with them, and they cautiously looked around. A tortoiseshell and white apprentice looked unusually frightened as she followed a mottled brown and ginger tom. The older cat snarled at her when she jumped at the snapping of a twig.

"So they think they can take our territory do they?" Mistystar hissed quietly. Four other RiverClan cats were pacing eagerly on the bank, waiting for her order. Duskfur was among them.

She leaped to her paws and snarled venomously towards the black and white tom. He whipped around, eyes widening in utter shock.

"How dare you invade our territory when it is greenleaf!" she spat.

"We are just widening our hunting grounds," he growled back.

Mistystar lifted her tail, signaling to the group of cats waiting on the bank. Stormpaw watched as they slinked towards the black and white warrior. His fur stood on end when their eyes narrowed dangerously.

"ShadowClan, attack!" he yowled.

Before Stormpaw could reply, the mottled brown and ginger warrior lunged forward. He nearly wailed in surprise when more ShadowClan warriors erupted from the other side. They seemed to appear out of nowhere as they ambushed unsuspecting RiverClan cats.

He gasped in pain when the mottled warrior bit down hard on his front left leg. It was enough to make sparks crackle from beneath. The mottled brown and ginger tom let out a shocked wail when the sparks seared his whiskers. When the warrior had let go and run off, Stormpaw searched for any other enemies. He spotted his next target: The tortoiseshell and white apprentice.

Without hesitating he leaped forward with his claws unsheathed. The apprentice whirled around to face him. It was at that moment that the battle seemed to slow down around them. Stormpaw's jaw had dropped when he saw something familiar on her forehead. Her eyes were wide with horror as his claws raked her side. The image would never leave his mind when he got older.

"You're...you're Marked?" he choked out.

The ShadowClan apprentice looked like she was writhing in pain. Stormpaw stared at her in dismay. The wound he had given her was deep enough to cause lots of pain. Perhaps enough to make her hate him.

He let out a yowl of shock when the wound suddenly began to glow. A moment of silence swiftly followed as the glow nearly blinded him. Than as if it had never happened, the glow faded into darkness. They were left staring at each other in confusion. It took Stormpaw a few heartbeats to realize what had just occurred. Her wound no longer existed. Not even a scar was etched where his claws had met skin. He took the moment of confusion to study the mark on her forehead. It had glowed at the same time her wound glowed. It was the shape of an oak leaf.

"Yes, I am," she replied after hesitating a couple of heartbeats. She glanced down at his paws, where the sparks continued to crackle. "Let me see your leg," she added stiffly.

Hesitantly he lifted it, revealing the wound the mottled brown and ginger warrior had given him. He was surprised to find that it was the paw with the mark on it. The mark was glowing brightly like her own had been.

"Than we are not alone," she whispered. "We must meet together, before the full moon," she added more clearly to Stormpaw. "I'm certain the others are aware of our presence. I will warn ThunderClan, and perhaps that apprentice can warn WindClan."

Stormpaw's fur stood on end at the thought of going behind his Clan's back. He could only imagine the searing rage Mistystar would feel knowing that her own apprentice had vanished without a trace. Not to mention the humiliation he would face if Nightpaw found out.

"I...I'm not sure if that's such a good idea," he murmured. By now the battle had drawn to a halt. Rowanstar had arrived moments after RiverClan emerged from the bank. Now only Stormpaw and this apprentice were hidden. "What will happen if the Clans find out? They might think we're conspiring against them," he added.

The ShadowClan apprentice winced as though a stone had been hurled at her chest. "You think I don't know that?" she hissed. "I want to remain loyal towards my Clan...But I have greater callings. I've spoken to StarClan, and this is what they want."

Stormpaw looked away, towards a patch of reeds. He couldn't even think about leaving his Clanmates now. They would think he was a traitor. "I'm sorry," he growled. "But right now my Clan needs me more than you do. I can't leave them now." It felt like a hole had opened up in front of him. Why did it feel as though leaving her behind was the worse thing he could do? Surely abandoning his Clan was far worse.

When he met her gaze, her amber eyes clouded in sorrow. "I'm sorry too," she rasped. "We will not be free until you follow your destiny."

With that, she left him and joined the mottled brown and ginger warrior. He was bleeding heavily after a nasty claw wound left by Duskfur. The rest of ShadowClan looked just as bad. Stormpaw lowered his gaze when the tortoiseshell and white apprentice stared at her paws. It looked as though her mentor was lecturing her.

_You did the right thing_, he tried to tell himself. Somewhere deep inside, Stormpaw knew that he was wrong. The four of them would have to meet sooner or later. Destiny always came crashing forward. There was nothing he could do to stop it.

**I hope you all liked it! That whole bit about destiny chasing you down was from Sailor Moon, if you haven't noticed. A sort of stole a line from Amara ^^" Please remember to leave a review!**


	11. Chapter 9: Flowerpaw

**A/U: This chapter is a bit short compared to my others. I managed to squeeze in an extra line from Copperpaw. I hope you enjoyed it, and please, please review!**

**Chapter 9**

Copperpaw's whiskers drooped as rain pelted through the leaves of trees. She hated the rain. It always made her fur feel heavier than usual. On top of the heavy fur, it made prey hide in their dens. All in all, there was nothing good about rain. Well, maybe except for the fact that it helped make plants grow.

Her lips curled as droplets fell from a leaf above her muzzle. Cinderheart had sent her out on a one cat hunting patrol. Apparently the fresh-kill pile had been deprived of prey since the day before. Now it was up to Copperpaw to stock it up again.

All around her the sounds of prey scuffled about. She could hear the chattering of a squirrel as it waited out the storm. A wren was flapping its wings near two boulders that jutted out from the ground. Her mouth watered at the thought of eating juicy prey. Yet Copperpaw felt her stomach churn in disgust at the thought of killing it. She knew that she could change into animals, which was why she felt this way.

Suddenly her nose wrinkled in disgust. The rank stench of crowfood and something indescribable reached her scent glands. Copperpaw knew that stench anywhere. It belonged to ShadowClan, the Clan that hid in the shadows of their territory. Cinderheart had taught her that ShadowClan cats couldn't be trusted. Most of the warriors in ShadowClan would try to take advantage of a young apprentice. Especially one such as herself.

The dark ginger apprentice dropped to a crouch. She pinpointed the scent. It was drifting from a small patch of grass that ran through ThunderClan territory. The cat hadn't moved yet. If she kept her senses calm and collected, the cat would never detect her approach. Each pawstep was placed carefully on the thick undergrowth. Soon she could make out the pelt of the cat that had wandered into her territory. It was mottled with mixtures of brown, black, and white.

_A tortoiseshell_, Copperpaw thought with a flick of her ears. _She'll look like my color when I'm finished with her_, she thought dangerously.

As Copperpaw lifted her head and prepared to spring forward, she quickly realized that this cat was in fact an apprentice. It still had the same kit-soft fur as her. Yet the cat looked desperate as she scanned the territory. A pair of bright amber eyes soon reached Copperpaw's green eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked fearfully.

Copperpaw lifted her head and glared at the intruder. This cat was nothing but a minnow compared to some ShadowClan cats. Maybe she'd crossed into their territory by accident. That would explain why their stench was so strong on her.

"My name is Copperpaw," she growled in reply. "Why are you on ThunderClan territory?" She stepped forward and pushed her muzzle into the other cat's muzzle.

Instead of the fear that had clouded her trespasser's gaze, a look of intrigue and curiosity gleamed within it. "You are...Marked," she gasped. "Than I've found the right cat." A sigh of relief escaped from her jaws.

Copperpaw's fur bristled at the mention of Marked. She felt her fur grow hot in embarrassment when she realized that this cat also had a strange mark on her forehead. It was in the shape of a leaf. It appeared to have the same empathy as Copperpaw's own mark on her tailbone. She turned her head slightly to look at the paw print.

"Do you have powers too?" Copperpaw asked after relaxing a little. She was still suspicious about the cat's scent, but her initial threat had faded.

When the tortoiseshell nodded, Copperpaw couldn't help but gasp in surprise. "I have the power to heal," she explained. "I seem to heal any wound, no matter how deep."

"Wow! That sounds pretty cool," Copperpaw breathed. "I...I can change into different animals," she added.

It felt strange to be telling a different cat about her power. But she trusted this cat, despite what Clan she was from. Something deep within the pit of her stomach told her that this meeting was meant to be. That this was more than about forming a friendship.

"What's your name?" the ShadowClan apprentice asked.

"My name is Copperpaw," she replied. "And yours?"

"In my Clan I am called Flowerpaw," the apprentice murmured. "But I can't live to my namesake. Not yet anyways."

"Why not?" Copperpaw tilted to her head in confusion. What did Flowerpaw mean by not living up to her namesake?

"Littlecloud is still Hawkflash's mentor," Flowerpaw quickly explained. "I guess he's waiting until the right time to retire." She shrugged and looked away.

Copperpaw leaned forward until she nearly pushed Flowerpaw to the ground. "Or maybe he's waiting for a sign!" she meowed. When Flowerpaw's ears pricked forward, Copperpaw explained. "A medicine cat would retire if he or she had a sign, right?"

Flowerpaw's eyes widened in surprise when she realized what Copperpaw was explaining. Suddenly it all made sense. She knew that Littlecloud was old enough to be in the elders' den. His muzzle had grayed with age, and patches of his fur was missing already.

"So what do you have in mind for a retirement?" Flowerpaw asked after Copperpaw mulled over the possibilities.

The two apprentices continued discussing possible signs that would force Littlecloud into retirement. Though the idea sounded wrong, it wasn't new. Copperpaw knew that their plan would work. She felt as though Flowerpaw had to be a medicine cat apprentice. Not just because of the powers she had. But because she shared the attitude of a medicine cat.

**There you have it! It took me three days to write this out, which is unusual for updating standards. But I finally managed to finish writing this out. Anyways, thanks ilfbehwh for reviewing! You've earned a Squirrelflight plushie!**


	12. Chapter 10: Early Retirement

**Wow, a total of four reviews in one day? It must be my lucky day :D Sorry for updating so quickly, I thought it would be fun for everyone to see what happened right away after Copperpaw made her decision to help Flowerpaw. Anyways, thanks .tuerzame. for reviewing as many chapters as you could ^^ I've been reading the advice you've given me, and I'll try to follow it as best I can. And thanks to Starlight Warrior 1092 for reviewing as well!**

**Chapter 10**

Mist swirled around the undergrowth of ShadowClan as Flowerpaw returned to camp. She wasn't at all sure whether or not this plan of Copperpaw's would work. The ThunderClan apprentice had promised to stay hidden as she returned home. Copperpaw had told her the plan would work. Littlecloud's retirement would be fair and justified.

_I just wish it would feel right_, she thought silently. Her body seemed to melt into the darkness. The strong scents of ShadowClan quickly reached her nose, until she touched the grounds of camp. Tawnypelt was wandering towards the nursery, while Rowanstar spoke quietly to Smokefoot, the Clan deputy. Dawnpelt, daughter of Tawnypelt and Rowanstar, was expecting kits. That explained why the tortoiseshell was heading to the den.

Littlecloud himself was fighting off another coughing fit. These tended to happen during the night, especially when it got bitterly cold out. The small tabby was getting more and more ill by the day. Flowerpaw felt an immense wave of guilt as she thought of what was about to happen. Silently she prayed that he would forgive her when he found out from StarClan.

She started to limp into the clearing. Cats looked up in surprise as she entered. Applefur's eyes rounded with worry when she spotted her daughter.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she padded over.

"I think I stepped on a thorn," Flowerpaw replied. She winced slightly, hoping to attract the attention of Littlecloud.

"Where is the medicine cat?" Applefur looked around until she spotted Littlecloud. He was watching curiously from within the shadows of his den. Hawkflash had gone out to search for herbs when Flowerpaw had left. Flowerpaw guessed that the medicine cat apprentice was still looking. When Littlecloud approached, Applefur's pelt began to bristle. "She stepped on a thorn!" she hissed.

"I can see that," he meowed calmly. "May I have a look at your paw?"

Gingerly Flowerpaw lifted it. Not even her mother knew about the powers she had. She felt as though Littlecloud was aware of them. The gaze he sent told her he knew something was up.

The small tabby sniffed it carefully. Sure enough, a small thorn had wedged its way between her pad. Flowerpaw wrinkled her nose at the stench of blood. She didn't like the idea of it, but Copperpaw had told her that he would believe her more. Littlecloud sniffed disdainfully and looked at Flowerpaw in the eyes.

"How did this thorn get stuck in your pad?" he demanded hoarsely.

_How do I tell him_? she wondered. A sudden feeling of fear pricked at her. What if he told Rowanstar she should be punished for lying? She would never become the medicine cat apprentice at that rate!

Suddenly the call of a crow echoed around the trees. Cats looked up in surprise, but it was Flowerpaw who felt the most surprise. The crow looked down at her through beady black eyes. It was almost like the crow _knew_ her. Than it dawned on her. The crow was Copperpaw.

"Is it a sign?" Rowanstar asked as he stepped away from Smokefoot.

Littlecloud let a small wheeze. His muscles heaved as he stared at the crow in disbelief. Copperpaw was working perfectly with the sign. She stood on the branch of a tree that was shadowed by a small, thick cloud.

"I...I don't believe it," he rasped. When Rowanstar looked at him in confusion, he continued. "The crow...it is telling me to retire!"

Flowerpaw found herself digging her claws into the soil. Yes! It was working! She spotted Hawkflash returning from her search for herbs. The brown and ginger she-cat had dropped the herbs she was carrying when she heard Littlecloud's wail.

Rowanstar's eyes narrowed skeptically as the medicine cat struggled to his paws. The ShadowClan leader flicked his tail for silence as Hawkflash hissed in agitation.

"He still has plenty of life in him," she hissed. "Why should a crow lingering under a cloud have anything to do with his retirement?"

When no cat replied, Hawkflash curled her lips in disgust. Flowerpaw was surprised to feel an immense surge of hatred towards StarClan coming from the medicine cat apprentice. She had heard from one of the elders that Hawkflash had been forced to become Littlecloud's apprentice after Flametail died in the ice. Flowerpaw wondered if Hawkflash resented becoming his apprentice. Many cats still honored the memory of Flametail. Especially Tawnypelt, his mother.

The ShadowClan leader stepped forward and brushed his whiskers against Littlecloud's. "I trust your judgment," he murmured. "You have served this Clan for many seasons, far longer than me."

A spark of recognition flashed within Littlecloud's amber eyes. Flowerpaw thought she saw amusement within them, but it faded too quickly for her to really see.

"I can remember when you were a rogue joining the Clan," he rasped. "I was barely an apprentice-aged cat than. But Cinderpelt saved my life, and Whitethroat's. I still owe her my life." He bowed his head. Flowerpaw tilted her own head to one side as waves of sadness rolled across the clearing. Did Littlecloud still miss the former ThunderClan cat?

"Let all cats old enough gather around the Pinebranch for a Clan meeting!" Rowanstar's yowl rang across the clearing as the Clan emerged from dens all around.

Most cats had already emerged from their respective dens. Rowanstar's tail drooped over the branch that hung over camp. Flowerpaw watched curiously, wondering how an elder's ceremony went. She'd never seen one before, and she had a feeling that it was one the Clan would never forget.

Up above the crow had flapped away. She blinked in surprise when one of its feathers landed softly on her nose. Copperpaw had left the Clan in turmoil, but at least Flowerpaw could finally become an apprentice.

"We are gathered here today because of a sign Littlecloud received." Rowanstar spoke clearly so that everyone could hear. "Littlecloud, is it your wish to become an elder, and give up the duties of a medicine cat?"

"It is," Littlecloud rasped.

Rowanstar's amber eyes blinked. "May you endure seasons of peace and a full belly," he meowed.

Yowls of congratulations quickly followed his words. Some cats murmured in confusion. Tawnypelt's green eyes had widened in surprise, while Tigerheart's fur bristled uncertainly. Once more waves of guilt washed over Flowerpaw. Maybe the retirement of Littlecloud should have never happened.

She sighed as the Clan moved to share tongues with Littlecloud. The small tabby had suffered a bout of coughing after Rowanstar finished speaking.

_This is what you wanted_, Flowerpaw reminded herself. _There's no turning back_. She gulped at the idea of confronting Hawkflash on her own. Surely the new medicine cat of ShadowClan would still be angry after suffering the loss of her mentor.

"It was strange that the crow would have appeared so suddenly," murmured Ratscar as he padded towards the fresh-kill pile. He and Applefur had been informed that Flowerpaw was Marked, and had been given powers not from StarClan. The stare he gave Flowerpaw made her fur bristle.

"She did nothing wrong," Applefur purred. She gave him a reassuring lick, but he snorted just the same.

Flowerpaw stared down at her paws, feeling even guiltier than ever. Even if she was going to become Hawkflash's apprentice, it didn't feel right. She cheated in causing Littlecloud's retirement. Somehow it felt like StarClan wouldn't forgive her for it.


	13. Chapter 11: Failed Mission

**A/U: I had to edit this chapter because I forgot Harespring was Rockpaw's mentor. I kept thinking it was Sunstrike, and wrote half of the chapter with her involved. It didn't take too long though. So here's chapter eleven!**

**Chapter 11**

_Just listen to your mentor_...Rockpaw flattened his ears as the words rang within them. They were the words of Onestar, who had decided to end Leafpool's traitorous ways. Rockpaw wasn't looking forward to using his powers to kill. Onestar had reassured him that everything would be fine. StarClan would forgive him because Leafpool had fled the warrior code and her own ancestors. StarClan couldn't possibly hold a grudge against a cat who was only helping his Clan.

Harespring had been furious when Onestar told him to lead Rockpaw. The apprentice knew how much he hated Onestar. He, along with several WindClan cats, were fed up with his way of ruling. Apparently Onestar had changed dramatically after receiving his nine lives.

His mentor was crouched in a gorse bush. His amber eyes gleamed with wariness as he scanned the area. No signs of life, other than a couple of wrens, could be seen. There were no cats hunting in this part of the moor. Twolegs often came down the hills on horses, scaring away most prey. Rockpaw was surprised that none had come so far. Beyond the hill was a Twoleg farm, with a wide variety of life on it. On the other side of the gorse bush was a small stream that cats sometimes drank from.

_All we have to do is wait until she comes for a drink_, Rockpaw thought. None of the WindClan warriors were sure where she slept at night. Many had suspicions that she made a nest deep within the forest of ThunderClan. Rockpaw snorted at the idea of sleeping under the thick cover of trees. He'd rather stay out in the open than disappear into thick undergrowth. The stars had always provided comfort to him at night. He could never get used to the rustling of their leaves, or the sounds of birds as they rose in the morning.

Rockpaw looked up to see that Harespring was glaring at something. He followed his gaze until he saw what he was glaring at.

The lithe figure of a cat leaped from rock to rock. A couple of boulders jutted out of the ground near the hill. He squinted his eyes so that he could make out the figure. Much to Rockpaw's amusement, it was Leafpool, trying to find a footing on the boulders. She struggled to reach the next one. With a startled yelp she fell to the ground, where she lay in shock.

"Might as well use that powers of yours," Harespring muttered with a lash of his tail.

The black apprentice concentrated on using his powers. He felt the raw power of earth and rock course through his body. It would take all of his strength to take down Leafpool. She had more skills than most cats. She had the ability to heal and fight, since she lived part of her life as a warrior.

A sudden cry from a wren made Leafpool look up in alarm. Her amber eyes widened in shock when she spotted two figures looming in the distance.

Rockpaw ground his teeth together and fought the urge to stop. There was no turning back now; he promised Onestar to defend WindClan, even if it meant using his powers to kill. A primal growl rose in his throat as he stalked forward.

The former ThunderClan cat didn't move. Her legs seemed glued to the ground as Rockpaw moved forward. Harespring's irritable hiss made him move faster.

"Wait!" A yowl of alarm rolled across the moors.

Rockpaw glanced around warily. Than he spotted who had made the cry. The dark gray figure of Crowfeather raced across the moors, nearly knocking Sunstrike over in the process. She snarled in surprise when he swept past her. Rockpaw blinked in disbelief. What was that mousebrain doing?

He gasped in surprise when Crowfeather knocked him over. "You can't kill her," he panted.

When Rockpaw struggled to his paws, Crowfeather spat in his face. A snarl came from Harespring as the brown and white tom staggered forward. He recovered from the shock of Crowfeather's strike, and a spark of fury lit his eyes.

"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded.

By the time he had reached them Leafpool disappeared back into the forest. Rockpaw hissed in frustration when he realized that his chance was ruined. Crowfeather's tail lowered in what appeared to be shame. But Rockpaw could see right through his mask. Obviously Crowfeather hadn't gotten over his obsession with cats outside of WindClan.

"It's not right," he muttered with a shake of his head. "Not only is she the daughter of Firestar, who saved our Clan, but she is also a medicine cat. StarClan would never approve of this, and you know it!"

"I'm only following Onestar's orders," Harespring snapped. "And Nightcloud would never forgive you if she found out you still had feelings for that traitor."

Crowfeather looked down at his paws. There was not guilt in his voice as he spoke, much to Rockpaw's disdain. "I cannot forgive Nightcloud for what she did to Onestar," he growled. "Do you not remember how she betrayed him by following Mudclaw?"

Rockpaw stared at Crowfeather in surprise when he mentioned the former deputy of WindClan. He had heard stories of how Mudclaw used to be Tallstar's deputy. That was until Tallstar had lowered his rank, and made Onestar his deputy during the Great Journey. The Clan had been left unsettled when they found their territory. Mudclaw had rallied them up to fight against Onestar.

The two cats stopped arguing when a patrol of WindClan warriors approached. Sunstrike, Goldenpaw, and Owlwhisker were part of it. Rockpaw felt his ears flatten as they moved closer. A look of anger crossed Owlwhisker's face when he noticed what they had been doing. Goldenpaw looked terrified at the prospect of fighting another warrior.

"Should I ask what is happening?" Owlwhisker asked after Crowfeather had settled down.

Only Harespring was still bristling with fury. "This mousebrained stopped us from completing our mission," he explained in a snarl.

"What mission?" Sunstrike asked. "I don't remember hearing about this."

"It was a mission Onestar only wanted _us_ to fulfill," Rockpaw meowed. He tried not to wince when Sunstrike gave him a scorching glare. Apprentices rarely spoke out against older cats. Especially warriors.

"He must think highly of you," Owlwhisker sniffed as he paced around the small group. "Otherwise he wouldn't have sent you on your own."

Crowfeather's blue eyes flashed towards Harespring, whose ears were flattened in annoyance. Rockpaw shook his head. He wondered if there was another reason as to why Crowfeather had stopped them. The dark gray deputy would have had to have a good reason for his sudden attack.

"Lets go back," he muttered with a lash of his tail.

Dusk had arrived by the time they returned to camp. Most cats had looked up in surprise as the returning cats were being led by Owlwhisker. Harespring's tail was still bristled to twice its size. Rockpaw continued to stare at his paws as he followed the patrol.

He failed his mission. Onestar wouldn't be pleased with him. And it was no thanks to that mousebrain Crowfeather!

Rockpaw glared at the dark gray tom. He wouldn't forgive Crowfeather for ruining everything. The deputy of WindClan would pay for making him fail.

**A/U: Ah...Rockpaw is definitely one of my favorite OC characters. I've got a big future planned for him. Hopefully after this update I'll get more reviews? Please?**


	14. Chapter 12: Meeting

**A/U: I figured I better get this chapter done before I leave for the weekend. I'm going up to the lake for two days, so...yeah. Anyways, I finally got three reviews! To me this is a new record, which is kind of sad when you think about it. Anyways, thanks WildCroconaw, PieInYaFace, and TheVampLuvr1 for reviewing!**

**Chapter 12**

Every muscle in Stormpaw's body told him that this was wrong. That he shouldn't have gone behind Mistystar's back. Yet somewhere deep inside a voice told him it would be okay. One day he would be more powerful than StarClan and the Three combined.

After contemplating on what Flowerpaw had told him, Stormpaw decided to meet her and the other apprentices. He could feel the electricity surging through his body right now. For a moment Stormpaw wondered if this was how the Three had felt when they discovered what they could do. Or if Flowerpaw had any great powers like him. The thought made his fur crawl in anticipation.

None of the cats in RiverClan understood him, or his powers. After Nightpaw had discovered what he could do, she refused to speak with him. Only Streampaw was willing to share tongues with him, and that was when Nightpaw wasn't around. Despite the pang of loss over his sisters, Stormpaw felt it was necessary. What if he accidentally lost control of his powers? He could hurt them...Not that he would mind hurting Nightpaw. Someone needed to teach her some manners.

Soon the moon began to emerge from the clouds that had hidden it. Stormpaw looked up to see its silvery light reflected across the lake. He almost wished that he could _swim_ rather than control lightning. Who knew what could be at the bottom of the lake. Something told him that it was important. It could hold a link to the cats that once lived around here.

He sighed and stretched out his back. Flowerpaw had mentioned meeting somewhere they could all go. The borders wouldn't be good; patrols were constantly checking them to make sure cats hadn't crossed. His only other option was the island in the middle of the lake. It made sense that Flowerpaw would choose the island. The island was safe, and no cat would suspect a couple of apprentices hanging around the clearing.

Stormpaw blinked in surprise when he heard the chirping of a kestrel. He spotted it hopping about on the branch of an aspen tree. It stopped hopping when it noticed his presence.

_What sort of a stupid bird is this?_ he asked silently. It let out a shriek and began to flap its wings furiously. It took Stormpaw a few heartbeats to realize that it was flying towards him. He gasped in shock when its talons scored across his muzzle, drawling blood. The dark gray apprentice tried to dodge the bird's talons as it continued jabbing at his muzzle. He was stopped dead in his tracks, feeling stupefied as it suddenly stopped moving. What happened next nearly took his breath away.

The bird's feathers suddenly began to quiver. Dark ginger fur replaced light brown feathers, and the muzzle of a cat replaced its beak. Stormpaw couldn't help but stare in utter disbelief as it changed into a cat right before his eyes. And it was a she-cat for that matter.

Her bright green eyes were gleaming with fury as she glared at him. Than they softened when she gazed at his right ear. It was when she calmed down that Stormpaw could see the strange mark on her tailbone. It appeared to be in the shape of a paw print. _Just like my lightning mark_, he thought with a flick of his ear.

"You're...Stormpaw, right?" she asked after her fur flattened. Her gaze was still guarded as Stormpaw studied her. She had the stench of ThunderClan.

_So _this_ is what a ThunderClan cat looks like_, he thought. Mistystar had told him that they weren't too annoying. She just didn't like the way they stuck their noses into everything. Always trying to help others when they couldn't take care of themselves.

"How do you know my name?" he muttered.

"Flowerpaw told me all about you," she replied. "The meeting is on the island," she added impatiently.

Still feeling mystified by this ThunderClan apprentice's presence, Stormpaw followed. His ears were still flattened. A patrol could easily catch them out here. If that happened than everything would be ruined. Stormpaw shivered at the thought of running into a moonhigh patrol. How would he explain why he was trespassing on their territory?

The trees began to part, giving way to the open moor. Out here he could see the moon gleaming faintly behind wisps of clouds. It was starting to grow into its full circle. Soon the full moon would come, and a Gathering would begin. Down below the island could be seen. Trees grew around the island, but the biggest of all was an ancient oak tree that stood out amongst the smaller trees.

Stormpaw felt awed by the sight. He was the first of his siblings to see reach the island. Nightpaw would never let him hear the end of it if she found out.

The dark ginger apprentice quickly moved forward. Stormpaw was surprised at how agile she was. She wasn't muscular like a ThunderClan cat. Her body was built for grace rather than stamina. He blinked when they reached the treebridge. The treebridge was what Petalfur had told him and his siblings about. In order to get to the island, a cat would have to cross it. But he could easily swim to the shoreline.

He didn't waste time plunging into the water. A purr of satisfaction rose within his throat when he caught the surprised look of his companion. Her green eyes narrowed slightly as she trotted across the bridge. She jumped off of the treebridge by the time he reached the other side.

"Copperpaw! Stormpaw!" Flowerpaw's excited mew broke the stony silence that passed between them.

Copperpaw bounded forward to meet the tortoiseshell apprentice. "I've been looking forward to this meeting," she purred.

Flowerpaw flattened her ears, suddenly looking crestfallen. "Rockpaw refused to come," she murmured. "He doesn't want anything to do with us."

The two continued chattering as Stormpaw shook the water off his fur. So WindClan also had a Marked cat. Rockpaw must have had a head full of bees if he thought he could stay away from them. It had taken a lot of encouraging for Stormpaw himself to come. In a way he knew how the WindClan apprentice felt.

"So now that we're all here, what are we supposed to do?" Stormpaw asked.

"I'm not exactly sure," Flowerpaw admitted sheepishly. "StarClan came to me the night before, and said to come here," she explained. "But that's all they said."

"Maybe they want us to help the Clans," Copperpaw suggested. "After all we have the power to."

Stormpaw was about to tell her that the idea was ridiculous when Flowerpaw shook her head.

"No...This prophecy, whatever it is, came from somewhere beyond StarClan," she mewed. "If they want us to do something with our powers, than they will tell us."

The RiverClan apprentice was surprised at how much wisdom Flowerpaw already had. He glanced at her and remembered the day they had fought. Guilt stabbed at his belly as he pictured himself attacking her with bolts of lightning.

"So coming here was a waste of time?" he snorted.

Flowerpaw turned to face him. A look of surprise flashed within her amber eyes. "Coming here wasn't pointless," she hissed. "We have to know each other, so that we don't attack one another. Rockpaw should have sensed this..."

Curiosity gnawed at Stormpaw as she mentioned the WindClan apprentice's name. He wondered what Rockpaw was like. Was the apprentice stubborn and hotheaded like most WindClan cats? _Most likely_, he sniffed.

"We should meet again," Flowerpaw meowed. "After the Gathering."

Stormpaw followed her gaze. Sure enough, the moon was already setting. Soon the sun would rise, and Mistystar would wonder where he had gone. One thing he knew full well was, that the Marked had a bigger destiny than he imagined. If they came from somewhere beyond StarClan...His claws unsheathed at the idea. Suddenly it felt as though discovering where they had come from felt more important than ever.

Sooner or later he would discover who their ancestors were. And what they were _really_ born for.

* * *

**A/U: I'm beginning to like Stormpaw more and more...He reminds me of Toklo from the Seekers series. Anyways, I'm thinking there will probably be about twenty chapters in this first book. I have decided that there will be a series about this. Thought it would be fun to write about them :D Please remember to leave a review, as they are appreciated.**


	15. Chapter 13: Cave of Ancients

**A/U: This is my longest chapter yet! And I got it done right before I had to start packing. I hope everyone's satisfied with it, because Copperpaw is a bit like Ujurak from the Seekers series. ( Apologies if it is spelled wrong ) Thanks WildCroconaw for reviewing!**

**Chapter 13**

Cold leaffall air whipped past Copperpaw as she hurried after her mentor. Nearly a moon had passed since she first met Stormpaw and Flowerpaw. Now her muscles had grown, and she had become a skilled hunter. Cinderheart had been pleased with her progress. The gray tabby would always keep a keen eye on her apprentice while they were hunting or practicing fighting skills.

When Copperpaw wasn't with Cinderheart she practiced using her powers. So far she had changed into squirrels, voles, and birds. Her favorite was the squirrel. They were noisy and very competitive over which trees they could climb. Becoming a different animal was beginning to get easier for her. Now she could remember who she was as long as she repeated her name. Mentally picturing her mother or father also helped.

"Lets go to the training hollow for today," Cinderheart meowed over her shoulder.

The sounds of Pricklepaw drifted towards them. The mottled brown apprentice had gone out earlier with Graystripe, who grunted with every step he took. Copperpaw knew it wouldn't be long before he moved to the elders' den. Dustpelt had already retired a couple of days ago after Ferncloud gave birth. Her newest kit was known as Eaglekit, a brown and white tabby with light gray flecks around his legs.

Her ears pricked forward as they entered the training hollow. Pricklepaw was slumped over a tree root that jutted out of the earth. Her sides heaved with effort as she staggered to her paws. Graystripe looked worriedly at his apprentice as she struggled.

"What's wrong with her?" Cinderheart asked as she padded towards them.

"I...I'm not sure," Graystripe rasped. "One minute she was fine, and the next, this!"

_Poppyfrost would be devastated if anything happened to her_, Copperpaw thought with a flick of her ear. She knew from experience how protective Poppyfrost was of her kits. Once the older warrior had gotten in a scrap with a WindClan cat who had tried to hurt Molewhisker.

"It looks like she's fine now," Cinderheart pointed out.

Copperpaw was surprised to see that Cinderheart was right. Pricklepaw blinked and shook her head, as if fighting off fatigue. When the apprentice had calmed down, she stared at the other cats in confusion.

"I think she should see Jayfeather about whatever this is," Cinderheart murmured.

When Graystripe nodded in agreement, Pricklepaw looked even more confused. "Why should I see Jayfeather?" she demanded haughtily. "There's nothing wrong with me!"

"Pricklepaw, you nearly passed out," Graystripe replied.

Pricklepaw narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I don't remember any of that happening," she muttered with a lash of her tail.

Copperpaw exchanged a shocked glance with Cinderheart. Maybe there really _was_ something wrong with Pricklepaw. She didn't look tired as she had before, but Copperpaw could tell that Pricklepaw was fighting off wariness.

She shook her head and tried to look away as Graystripe herded a hissing Pricklepaw out of the training hollow. Copperpaw prayed silently that he would find out what was wrong with her. That he would discover something that would cure whatever was wrong with Pricklepaw.

"Maybe we should try to avoid the area," Cinderheart meowed after they had left them. "I'm sure that Bramblestar will want to see if there is something around causing what just happened," she added when Copperpaw looked at her in dismay.

_And here I was looking forward to battle training_, she thought angrily. Cinderheart didn't let her protest. The gray tabby led her away from the clearing, towards the border of WindClan. Their strong scent reached her nose before they reached the border.

For a moment Copperpaw wondered if she would find Rockpaw anywhere. It was her who had spoken to him the for the first time. But he backed away from her and snarled that he had no place among the Marked. Before she could ask him why, he ran away. She sighed as the memory burned through her mind. Maybe Rockpaw was just acting like a stubborn old kit. He had to feel the same tug she had felt when she met Flowerpaw at the border of ShadowClan.

"Why don't you do some hunting," Cinderheart told her as they settled down on a patch of moss. Copperpaw fought back the urge to groan. She didn't want to hunt yet again. All of her senses were warning her that she needed to learn how to fight.

The dark ginger apprentice swallowed and nodded. Anything to get away from this place.

Cats from WindClan were constantly checking this side of their border. Copperpaw wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to face an entire patrol. Her fighting skills weren't all that great, no thanks to Cinderheart.

She tried to shake the thoughts away and concentrated on the prey around her. A mouse was digging through the ground, searching for seeds. A couple of shrews were squabbling over an insect one had unearthed. Copperpaw ignored them and cast her senses further. She gasped when she heard the digging sounds of a vole scraping through the soil. Its movements were urgent, as though its life depended on making a tunnel underneath the forest.

Her heart began to beat faster as her fur began to tremble. She'd never taken on the shape of a vole before, nor was she looking forward to it.

_I'm better at eating mice_, she told herself. Yet however much she'd rather not change, her mind gave in. Copperpaw felt her body shift from that of a cat, into a tiny creature that could barely see. She found that her whiskers gave her better senses of touch and smell. The vole she had sensed earlier was now muttering to itself.

"Find worms," it said in a low voice. "Survive snowfall."

Copperpaw forced herself to ignore Cinderheart's orders. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she wanted to know what he was talking about. She used her shovel like paws to dig into the hard soil. Soon Copperpaw found herself burrowing towards the vole that had spoken.

"Why must you find worms?" she asked when she had managed to reach him.

The vole let out a startled shriek and whirled around to face her. His whiskers twitched in fear, until he realized that she was another vole.

"I don't usually let strangers in my tunnels, especially other voles," he muttered. "But...somehow you seem different." He paused to scratch his ear. "I would have thought all voles knew what their prey was," he added.

When her eyes widened in astonishment, the vole chuckled in amusement. "Ah...perhaps you live near the tallwalkers," he murmured.

_He must mean Twolegs_, Copperpaw thought. This was the first time she had actually spoken to another creature. Normally she would have avoided them. Most of the creatures she turned into gave her hard stares, as if they couldn't believe their eyes.

"I'm sorry for intruding on your territory," she whispered with a dip of her head.

She hoped he wouldn't attack her if she showed him respect. This vole was old for his kind. Most only lived for a few years. His muzzle was gray, and the tip of his whiskers had turned silver.

"You're welcome to explore if you want, but don't steal any of my worms," he replied cheerfully.

Copperpaw nodded in understanding. She turned to leave him, when something tugged at her tiny paws. Her eyes narrowed slightly as a swift wind pulled at her. It felt as though something was calling her.

As she burrowed her way towards the whining wind, she felt the tugging grow stronger. She huffed in annoyance when she reached what appeared to be a dead end. The ground ahead of her was raw and tough. Too stiff for her claws to scrape through. Yet the tugging only intensified.

Without thinking about it, Copperpaw closed her eyes. She felt herself changing once again, only this time into the shape of an earth worm. Their sounds were loud underground, but she ignored them. The tugging suddenly stopped when she reached a crevice of some kind. It was like a sign that had told her where she needed to go. And the sign was telling her this was it.

She ate her way through the soil, until her head poked through. Copperpaw gasped in surprise when she saw what had been tugging at her heart. She wound her way out of the tunnel, which ran into a large enough cave for several cats. The worm-Copperpaw quickly changed back into her regular form, bringing back memories of why she was here in the first place.

Copperpaw gazed at the cave in wonder. There was glittering specks everywhere she could see. Most of them were in the shapes of cats. Each image had a marking of some kind. One had a pelt that burned brighter than Firestar's pelt. Another had watery blue eyes that glowed like Starlight.

"What is this place?" she asked out loud.

"Welcome home, young one." The raspy purr of another cat nearly made her leap out of her fur.

She whirled around, only to meet the faint outline of a cat.

"For so long we have awaited your arrival," it meowed. "And now you are here, along with the others."

"What do you mean?" she demanded. Her fur began to rise as the cat rose to its paws. Its eyes gleamed with happiness as it stared into her green depths.

"The path ahead of you is a difficult one," the cat murmured softly. "StarClan will not be watching over you," it added. "Only the Marked can help each other..."

Its voice had drifted away, leaving behind the lonely whisper of rock and soil rubbing against each other. Copperpaw's ears flattened at the disturbing sight.

_Was that cat from StarClan_? she wondered. _If so, than what happened to its fur_?

She couldn't help but feel as though something terrible was coming. That the Marked were the reason behind this terrible event. That she and the others would have to stop what ever dangers lay ahead of the Clans.

* * *

**A/U: What did you think? Definitely one of my better chapters. So what will happen to poor Pricklepaw...Well, you'll have to wait and see :P**


	16. Chapter 14: Ancestors of the Marked

**A/U: Hard to believe it's been two days since I updated. Thanks WildCroconaw for reviewing! Hopefully I'll get more reviews? *Puppy dog eyes***

**Chapter 14**

Pale rays of moonlight filtered through the trees as Flowerpaw followed Hawkflash. She was both mystified and worried about how her first meeting with StarClan would go. The time for medicine cats to meet had finally arrived. Beside them was Jayfeather, who barely stumbled much to Flowerpaw's surprise. It was almost as if the gray tabby could actually see with his _nose_ rather than his eyes.

She had felt a strange sense of wonder when he gazed at her as Hawkflash padded forward to meet him. Jayfeather didn't seem like a bad cat, but he was grumpy. There was something about the way he had stared at her that made her feel uncomfortable.

Flowerpaw sighed as she tred across the thick undergrowth. She knew that sooner or later they would reach the Moonpool, which was where medicine cats could communicate with StarClan.

Thoughts of meeting her ancestors made Flowerpaw's belly flutter with excitement and anticipation.

The forest around them began to shift as they drew closer to the Moonpool. Flowerpaw could sense a growing unease from Jayfeather. His ears were flattened as they trotted towards a path that led downwards.

Much to her surprise, Kestrelflight, the WindClan medicine cat, was already waiting. Beside him was a ginger she-cat with darker ginger paws, and pale green eyes. Her gaze brightened slightly when she noticed Flowerpaw's arrival. Than she narrowed them as Jayfeather approached.

"Greetings Kestrelflight," Hawkflash meowed with a dip of her head. "I see you've brought Fallenpaw this time." Her voice held the slightest tang of smugness as she stared at the apprentice.

"Her cough has cleared, thank StarClan," he replied. "We don't have to worry about greencough until leafbare arrives."

"Where's Littlecloud?" Fallenpaw asked as the two settled down.

Hawkflash turned her gaze towards the apprentice, who was crouched over a pile of leaves. "He retired early due to a sign," she muttered. "This is my apprentice, Flowerpaw."

Fallenpaw tilted her head in confusion when she spotted the mark on Flowerpaw's forehead. Than her eyes widened in disbelief.

"You're...their Marked?" she nearly choked out.

"Yeah," Flowerpaw replied sheepishly. She felt slightly embarrassed when Kestrelflight also turned to stare at her. "I can heal wounds, no matter how deep."

As she explained how it worked, Fallenpaw's gaze turned from dark to awed. Only Jayfeather remained silent. She turned to see what he was thinking about, only to find that he was looking away. A slight twitch of his whiskers told her that he was thinking about the Marked cats.

She sighed as the RiverClan medicine cats arrived. By now the moon was almost fully risen. Soon they would communicate with StarClan.

Willowshine ignored Fallenpaw and Flowerpaw as they were led into the hollow. Flowerpaw closed her eyes, and was surprised to feel the presence of other cats around the Moonpool. Their bodies shifted and flowed through the group as though they didn't exist.

The Moonpool itself was a vast pool of water, where a stream fed into it. Flowerpaw stared at it in amazement as the moon rose to its full height. The water itself danced with the reflection of the moon. As she stood there the other medicine cats crouched down before it. She followed suit, noting how Hawkflash kept her distance from the others.

"Let us hope we receive good news," Kestrelflight murmured.

After that, the group drank from the water. Flowerpaw lapped at the water gently and shivered in shock as waves of icy claws gripped her throat. She nearly gagged on the water, until her eyes began to grow heavy. Once they were closed, Flowerpaw quickly found herself fast asleep.

Her eyes opened when she heard the sounds of birds singing to one another. Flowerpaw gazed around in shock when she realized that trees were not visible in her dream.

Instead she stood on the top of a ridge, overlooking a vast prairie. Bushes and ferns grew here and there, but that was it. She spotted shadows racing each other near a flattened part of the prairie. They seemed to move as one.

Flowerpaw's eyes widened in shock when she realized that they were cats. Cats whose pelts glowed brighter than the stars. They skidded to a halt when they spotted her.

"A trespasser?" asked a black and white tom. Flowerpaw noticed that one of his eyes was darker than the other. It was a shade of smoky gray.

"No," replied a creamy white she-cat. "She has a Mark." She pointed an unnaturally long tail towards Flowerpaw, who crouched before them in surprise and fear.

"We haven't seen a young Marked one for quite a long time, Sprucetail," he meowed after settling down.

Sprucetail let out a purr and stared at Flowerpaw. "It is true," she mewed. "We haven't seen anyone for so long. We were afraid our kind had died out."

"Died out?" Flowerpaw asked. She tilted her head in confusion. What were these cats talking about?

The cream colored cat exchanged a glance with her companion. He shook his head and nodded. After what appeared to be a debate, Sprucetail rose to her paws.

"I'll show you where we meet," she murmured.

_Should I follow them_? Flowerpaw wondered as they began to pad away. She was wary of their arrival. They could easily be leading her into a trap. Or worse, the Dark Forest.

Stories of the Dark Forest had always haunted the cats of ShadowClan. Ever since the Three closed the gap between the Dark Forest and StarClan, things had begun to get quiet. She looked down at her paws.

Sprucetail turned in confusion when she noticed Flowerpaw wasn't following them. "It's okay," she called. "We would have attacked you if you were a threat to us."

After a moments hesitation, Flowerpaw gave in. Her curiosity was growing. She wanted to meet cats who had been Marked as well. Copperpaw and Stormpaw were the only ones she had met besides these two.

The three of them trotted across the prairie. Flowerpaw was surprised she didn't feel any wariness in her muscles. Instead she felt an endless amount of energy course through her veins. She flicked her ears from side to side as creatures called out to one another in alarm over their presence.

Suddenly Sprucetail halted to a stop. The black and white tom flicked his tail and padded ahead, performing a strange call. It sounded like that of a bird chirping in alarm. Flowerpaw guessed that that was what he could do.

"He sounds like a dying cheetah," Sprucetail muttered as he disappeared into the thickets of a gorse bush.

Even as she spoke Flowerpaw could see shapes moving amongst the thicket. A pair of green eyes gleamed through the leaves. She blinked as a splotchy looking ginger tom stepped out of the bush. Following him was the black and white tom, and a dark gray she-cat.

"So it's true," she murmured as they approached. "The Marked have finally arrived at the lake."

Flowerpaw dipped her head respectfully. She could sense an aura of wisdom from this cat. Clearly she had been here for many seasons.

"Yes," she replied after surveying the area. It was surrounded by high walls. Thick bushes of gorse grow around them, while their camp must have been in the center of them. Boulders and stones jutted out of the earth here and there. Nearby a stream trickled by. "My name is Flowerpaw, and I've come to speak with StarClan."

The dark gray she-cat's eyes suddenly clouded in sorrow. "For generations we once lived amongst our Clanmates," she began. "But they grew jealous of our powers. And than the war broke out..." She narrowed her eyes into tiny slits. "After the war we were banished from the forest. Our so called Clanmates feared for their lives because of the war."

"Does that mean you can't speak with StarClan?" Flowerpaw asked.

She was curious as to why StarClan would close off communication to the Marked. Perhaps they too feared the abilities of the Marked.

"They are afraid of us," the dark gray she-cat murmured softly.

"Darksong, we should check to see if there are others," meowed the splotchy ginger tom.

"Of course there are others," she snapped at him. "Leopardfang."

_They're arguing with each other_, Flowerpaw thought with a flicker of amusement in her eyes. She guessed that these cats weren't as well laid out as they thought. Darksong seemed like a friendly enough cat, but there was something about the way she spoke that sent shivers down Flowerpaw's spine.

"Flowerpaw, the path ahead of you is a difficult one," Darksong suddenly meowed. "StarClan are not there to protect you, but we will do our best to guide you."

She blinked in disbelief as Darksong padded forward. Why wouldn't StarClan protect her? She couldn't imagine a life without them. Most of her dreams had come from the stars, or so she had been brought up to believe.

"Remember little one, that we will never abandon you," Darksong whispered.

As her words faded into darkness, Flowerpaw realized that it was all true. She and her friends were alone in this world. Only they could protect each other from the dangers that surrounded them.

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**A/U: Flowerpaw is definitely my second favorite character. Rockpaw is still my first. She'll have a bigger role as the story moves on...Anyways, please remember to review!**


	17. Chapter 15: Training With Sootpaw

**A/U: This chapter is a bit short, unfortunately. Don't worry, the Gathering will be described later on. Thanks WildCroconaw for reviewing so quickly :D**

**Chapter 15**

Rockpaw ground his teeth together as he pictured the smug expression on Leafpool's face as she slipped away. The memory stilled burned within his mental images. Despite the fact that a moon had passed since his failed assignment, Rockpaw couldn't forgive Crowfeather. The WindClan deputy had betrayed him and Harespring by protecting Leafpool from her fate.

He snorted as he chewed through the tough meat of a rabbit. On top of all that, a ThunderClan apprentice had come snooping in his territory. Harespring had been the one to spot her, but he stopped in his tracks when he noticed an unusual marking on her ear. Rockpaw had spotted it as well, but he only grunted in annoyance. It was in the shape of a pawprint. The shape reminded him of his own Mark.

_I can control the earth_, he thought smugly. _I bet she can't even think properly_. He felt rather pleased with himself as he continued digging into the rabbit. No cat could outsmart a WindClan warrior. Rockpaw would make sure that his Clan was strong and well-fed every leafbare. He wouldn't let ThunderClan cats ruin their chances of survival.

"Are you finished?" Harespring's annoyed mew broke his silent thoughts.

The black and brown apprentice looked up at his mentor. Harespring was lashing his tail as he waited for Rockpaw's response.

"Yeah," he replied after pushing away the remains of his prey.

Harespring nodded and padded out of camp. Sootpaw and Onestar were already at the training clearing. Their sounds could be heard from the hill as Harespring approached. Rockpaw blinked as he wondered why Onestar would have chosen Sootpaw as his apprentice.

The WindClan leader was getting old now. Sooner or later his final life would ebb away, leaving Crowfeather as the leader. Rockpaw grimaced at the thought of listening to Crowfeather as a leader. He couldn't imagine what would happen to WindClan. Crowfeather would most likely accept Leafpool into the Clan, and bring with that acceptance chaos. The other Clans would never forgive Crowfeather or WindClan.

Rockpaw tried to force the thoughts away as they padded into the clearing. Onestar had sat down on the sidelines. His amber eyes gleamed as Harespring entered.

"We're here for some training," Harespring muttered.

"Good," Onestar meowed. "Sootpaw could use a training partner."

He nodded to the pale gray she-cat, whose pelt was bristling with uncertainty. Rockpaw bared his teeth. She was nothing but a coward to him. Her flattened ears told him that she was afraid of fighting him.

"Take it easy on each other," Onestar ordered. "I don't want any apprentice injured."

The two apprentices stared at each other. Rockpaw knew what sort of move she would use before it happened. He leaped into the air before she could roll towards him with lightning speed. Without waiting for her to recover he landed on her back with equal force. She yelped in surprise as his paws touched her back.

Sootpaw began to spin around in a fast motion. She was trying to throw her attacker off. Rockpaw hissed irritably and leaped off of her back just before she jumped.

Without thinking about what could happen he felt power rise within his paws. Soon a couple of pebbles around him began to wobble. It took Sootpaw a few heartbeats to realize what was happening. Not until she felt the stinging of pebbles flinging towards her did she screech in fury.

She spat at Rockpaw and raced towards him, ignoring the pebbles. He could see patches of blood starting to stream down her face.

"That's enough!" Onestar's yowl broke their fight.

Rockpaw blinked as Sootpaw skidded to a halt. The WindClan leader gave him and Sootpaw furious gazes.

"I said no injuries," he hissed.

When Rockpaw flattened his ears, Harespring looked mildly pleased with his progress. "All the same I think he's ready to see his first Gathering," he mewed.

Onestar and Sootpaw looked at him in disbelief. Than he suddenly held a strange gleam within his amber eyes. The brown tabby nodded in agreement.

"Yes," he purred. "He's ready for a Gathering."

Rockpaw couldn't help but stare at them in shock. He never expected to see a Gathering during his apprentice training. Stories had been told of Gatherings. Apparently cats could meet under the gaze of the full moon without fighting. Even ShadowClan would stop themselves from fighting, for a somewhat short amount of time.

As the sun began to dip behind the mountains, Rockpaw felt a sense of growing excitement course through him. He wondered if Goldenpaw was going as well. She had been progressing well in her training, despite having less muscles than him. She seemed to use the power of speed rather than attack. Rockpaw knew that she would make a fine hunter when the time came to feed the Clan.

Most of the Clan was gathered around a smooth boulder where the sun scorched it. Elders often came to the boulder to warm themselves. This usually happened more often during the coldest parts of leafbare. Now he could see Yellowtail sitting on top of the boulder. Goldenpaw was staring up at him with an awed expression as he described one of the common dog attacks that happened during the sunhigh patrol.

Gorsetail's kits, who had arrived a couple of moons ago, were peering out of the nursery. Their expressions were that of an eager kit as they listened.

"Can we go out and play momma?" asked Redkit. Her ginger-gray dappled fur was still fuzzy with kit-soft fur. Rockpaw watched with interest as her brother and sister paced around eagerly. Mousekit was a tawny colored tom with the same blue eyes as Gorsetail. Spottedkit was tortoiseshell with patches of gray, and she too had those dark blue eyes like Gorsetail.

"It's getting late," she purred as she joined them. "Lets go back inside."

The three siblings quarreled some more before giving in to their mother's orders. Rockpaw couldn't help but purr at their boisterous actions. He and Goldenpaw had played the same way when they were kits. That all seemed so long ago now.

He joined his sister shortly after most of the warriors who were leaving got themselves ready. Goldenpaw nudged him playfully.

"Going to the Gathering as well?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied with a widening grin. Goldenpaw flicked her tail.

"Guess we'll be going together," she murmured. "Like it should always be."

_Is she referring to my Mark_? he wondered. He'd begun to notice how jealous Goldenpaw was growing since he discovered his power. Onestar paid more attention to his training, and Harespring was less difficult with him. In fact his mentor had allowed him to practice using his powers. Rockpaw knew that one day he would protect his Clan with everything he had. And that included using his abilities.

Onestar let out a cry that was carried by the other cats of WindClan. It was time for them to go. It was time for their first Gathering.

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**A/U: I hope you enjoyed the little bit with Goldenpaw. Actually she was an interesting character to write about. Please remember to leave a review, they're greatly appreciated!**


	18. Chapter 16: Gathering

**A/U: To sum things up, I'd like to say that a Gathering happened while Stormpaw was made an apprentice. Obviously he wasn't allowed to go because he was too young. This isn't exactly a long chapter, but I figured I'd try to get as much in as I could. Thanks Mistsong for reviewing all of my chapters :D**

**Chapter 16**

Stormpaw felt thrills of excitement as he followed his Clanmates towards the island. It felt like a moon since he'd met with Flowerpaw and Copperpaw. In reality, it had only been a half moon. Memories of the meeting still burned within him.

He could imagine the shocked expression on Copperpaw's face when she saw him for the first time. Clearly she hadn't expected him to amount to much. Her sharp green eyes were what had stood out the most though. Stormpaw could still picture her fierce gaze burning through his own as he watched her change back. There was just something about the way she acted that caught his attention. Her graceful movements had attracted him the moment she changed back into a cat.

Most of his life had been sheltered in the fronds of RiverClan ways. But after watching Copperpaw for some time, he wanted to learn more about the cats of ThunderClan. Her very existence had changed his way of thinking.

_I wonder if she'll be at the Gathering_, he thought as he followed Nightpaw towards the lake. His sister's head was held high as she padded forward.

Ever since Mistystar had taken him on as her apprentice, Nightpaw had ignored her brother. Stormpaw knew that she was just fuming with jealousy. Nightpaw had expected to become the next deputy when she was a kit. Somehow all of that planning had ended when she became an apprentice. Now she was just quick-tempered and ready to fight if she needed to. Only Streampaw was able to put up with her foul attitude.

Duskfire and Loudstorm were trotting together, chattering about what would happen. The two toms had been made warriors only a day ago. It was easy to tell that they were still acting like apprentices. Loudstorm whispered something to Duskfire, and the two cats suddenly burst out with laughter. Mistystar glared at them over her shoulder before plunging into the water. The elders took a bit more time than warriors and apprentices. They crossed the treebridge like other cats who weren't used to water.

"This is gonna be fun," Nightpaw mewed as they entered the icy water. "I'll meet my first ShadowClan cat...Maybe I can even become friends with it. Or I can learn secrets from WindClan. They can catch rabbits and chase dogs all day."

Stormpaw ignored her constant chattering. He focused his attention on the island as they drew closer. She wasn't aware of the fact that he'd already met a ShadowClan apprentice. Flowerpaw had seemed like a friendly enough cat, but his instincts kept him from telling her anything that could be used against him or his Clan. Instead he had only told her what she needed to know. That he was Marked cat just like her.

Soon the entire island came into view. The shadowy outlines of cats moved about as the RiverClan cats emerged from the water's edge. Immediately the forest scent of ThunderClan wreaked havoc on Stormpaw's nose. He looked through the crowd of cats to see if there were any familiar pelts. Much to his dismay, only cats he didn't recognize were among them.

"You must be the newest apprentices." Stormpaw's ears flattened when a golden tabby with amber eyes spoke. The golden tabby looked between Stormpaw and Nightpaw, whose eyes had widened in surprise when she reached the island. Clearly she hadn't expected the Gathering to be so big. There were more cats here than there were in RiverClan. "You smell like RiverClan," the golden tabby added with a wrinkle of his nose.

"Stop scaring the apprentices Lionblaze," purred a small gray and white she-cat. She had been listening from the sidelines and padded over to join them. "Don't mind him. He's just all talk and no fight."

As soon as Stormpaw flicked his tail in agreement, a growl came from the cats of WindClan. He whirled around as they entered the clearing. His eyes widened when he recognized Onestar from his mother's description. As usual he was big and scary looking. Stormpaw made a mental note to avoid the WindClan leader.

Instead his gaze flickered towards a brown and black apprentice. The tom looked like a ThunderClan cat, much to Stormpaw's surprise. His sharp amber eyes gleamed as he stepped off of the treebridge. Stormpaw gasped when he spotted something familiar on the tom's paws. It looked like a marking of some sort. Like a boulder.

_He must be Rockpaw_, Stormpaw guessed. Quickly he glanced at his own mark. It was located near his legs, and it was the shape of lightning.

"You must be the RiverClan Marked," Rockpaw growled as he approached.

"Yeah," Stormpaw replied. He was surprised by how bold Rockpaw was. "You must be WindClan's Marked," he added more confidently.

Rockpaw lifted his head as a pale brown she-cat with black patches approached. Her green eyes narrowed slightly when she spotted Stormpaw.

"Who is this?" she asked.

"My name is Stormpaw," Stormpaw meowed.

"Come on Rockpaw, we're supposed to meet with Harespring and Sunstrike," she added to her companion.

Stormpaw lashed his tail irritably as Rockpaw nodded. He could tell that the WindClan apprentice wanted to say more. But Rockpaw just followed the she-cat towards the WindClan cats who sat by themselves. Stormpaw stared after him until his name was called.

He sighed and shook his head. This must have been what Copperpaw had told him about. That Rockpaw was just an arrogant furball waiting for an accident to happen.

The dark gray apprentice padded over to his own Clanmates. He could feel Nightpaw's scorching glare as he groomed his unkempt pelt.

"Who was that you were talking to?" she asked.

"A friend," he lied between groomings.

Nightpaw sniffed and continued to glare at him. "I'm surprised any cat would want to be friends with you," she muttered crossly.

It took all of his strength not to fight back. Instead Stormpaw concentrated on his powers. He could feel the strong pull of electricity coursing through his body as anger boiled within him. If Nightpaw was looking for a fight, than he would give her one she'd never forget.

She jumped back with a startled yelp when a spark landed on her pelt. Stormpaw chuckled in amusement when his powers ebbed away. In reality Nightpaw was nothing more than a bully looking for trouble. She was one bully he could easily handle.

Suddenly a yowl from the Ancient Oak sounded. The four leaders were sitting on each of its ancient branches, staring down at the Clans that surrounded them.

"Welcome to the full moon Gathering," Bramblestar announced. The crowd almost immediately grew silent. All eyes were focused on him as he spoke. "Each full moon we come here to speak in peace, without fighting. Tonight is no different." He turned his gaze towards Rowanstar, who nodded in some sort of agreement.

"All is well in ShadowClan," he began. "Littlecloud, our former medicine cat, has retired to the elders' den. May many moons of peace fulfill his wishes. Hawkflash is now our full medicine cat, and Flowerpaw is her apprentice."

Cheers of congratulations quickly followed his words. Littlecloud had been popular amongst all of the Clans. Stormpaw was almost surprised that he had retired so quickly. He knew that Flowerpaw had been longing to become Hawkflash's apprentice for some time now.

When Rowanstar finished speaking, he stepped back to allow Onestar to speak.

"All is well in WindClan," he meowed calmly. "We have a new warrior, Yellowtail."

Once more yowls of congratulations filled the air. Stormpaw tried to peer past the throngs of WindClan cats. Sure enough, a handsome golden brown tabby tom was lifting his head high as his name was chanted. Stormpaw noticed that there were distinctive markings on the end of his tail.

Soon the Gathering had drawn to an end as Mistystar made her announcement. Not much had happened in ThunderClan. The only problems they faced was a curious fox that had almost found their camp. Copperpaw had quickly taken care of the fox, according to Bramblestar.

The moon was already sinking behind clouds. Stormpaw yawned as exhaustion quickly seeped in.

The touch of his mother's tail tip was what had kept him from falling asleep. "My first Gathering was the same way," she murmured gently. "You'll get used to it as time goes on."

Despite the fact that other Clans were watching, Stormpaw nuzzled his nose into her fur. It was moments like these that really made him glad she was his mother. She may not have kept Nightpaw and Streampaw in line when they were kits, but she truly cared about her son. And that was all Stormpaw cared about.

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**A/U: So what did you think? You'll find out more about Copperpaw's adventure with the fox in the next chapter. Anyways, please remember to review!**


	19. Chapter 17: A Hard Choice

**A/U: Yay I managed to get this finished! I sure hope you enjoy it...Although I am updating rather late...Oh well! Anyways, thanks xXMistsongXx, Son of the Sea 100896, PieInYaFace, and WildCroconaw for reviewing! Wow, four reviews, a new record! I'm giving out Copperpaw plushies to those who have reviewed!**

**Chapter 17**

_I wish I could be a warrior now_, Copperpaw thought as the Clan's newest warriors sat vigil. A day had passed since the Gathering occurred. Bramblestar had made Batpaw, Silverpaw, and Rainpaw into warriors the day after. Now they were known as Batwing, Silverstripe, and Rainleaf. All three new warriors looked like they were ready to burst with pride as they sat near the camp entrance.

She could still remember convincing the fox that had tried to find the ThunderClan camp to leave. Apparently the fox had been pregnant, and was looking for a birthing den. She had told the fox that there was a birthing den further away from the Clans. Much to her relief the fox had accepted her word and disappeared. No signs of it had been reported since.

"It won't be long 'till we're warriors too," Mallowpaw meowed as he left the apprentice's den. "Pricklepaw and Honeypaw are going to be assessed today."

Copperpaw stared at him in surprise. Bramblestar had only just named three new warriors the day before. He must have been desperate for more if he wanted to check on Pricklepaw and Honeypaw's progress.

Both apprentices were fun to talk to. Pricklepaw had a snarky attitude when it came to fresh-kill. Her sister, Honeypaw, however, was much friendlier. In fact, Copperpaw and Honeypaw were the best of friends.

She could imagine Honeypaw becoming a queen like her mother, Poppyfrost. The golden tabby apprentice was gentle and kind to most cats. She was only fierce when it came to protecting her Clanmates.

"I wonder if Bramblestar will make Rosepetal's kits apprentices soon," she murmured through a yawn.

"Shouldn't be long," Mallowpaw replied. "And Ferncloud's kits are getting bigger too," he added.

Copperpaw mewled in agreement. Ferncloud had given birth four days ago prior to the Gathering. She was now nursing two healthy kits. One looked like Dustpelt, while the other had a black and white speckled pelt. Ferncloud had named her kits Tanglekit and Fallowkit after a couple of cats she had learned about when she was an apprentice herself.

The dark ginger apprentice arched her back as the sun rose.

Silverstripe's mentor, Brightheart, emerged from the warriors' den to greet the Clan's newest warriors. After addressing the three of them, they were allowed to leave their silent vigil.

Batwing let out a contempt purr as he followed his siblings. "I'm glad I get that off of my chest," he muttered as he passed Copperpaw.

"So that wasn't your snoring I heard," Rainleaf purred.

Her brother growled in annoyance as she swatted at his ear. Copperpaw dodged to the side as they began to pounce on each other. She was happy that they could have fun while they were warriors. Yet somehow it all seemed irrelevant as she watched them. Sooner or later life would catch up with them. It just happened to meet her a bit early.

_Already I'm defending the Clan_, she thought as she looked down at her paws. _Bramblestar will want me to save it every time there's danger around_.

The thought made her fur sting in embarrassment. It also sent waves of guilt through her as she thought of what would have happened if she was gone. The fox could have found the camp. Or worse, it could have killed many warriors or apprentices.

Copperpaw shivered as she imagined what could have happened. Anything could have gone wrong if she wasn't around to protect her Clan.

The sun was almost above the trees by the time Cinderheart approached her. Copperpaw gulped when she saw that Bramblestar was pacing beside her. The ThunderClan leader didn't look happy. She wrapped her tail around her paws as they approached.

"I've noticed how much you are progressing in your training," meowed the ThunderClan leader. Even as he spoke Copperpaw could see the look of worry within Cinderheart's eyes. "Now I have been hearing that ShadowClan scents are being detected over the border."

Suddenly Copperpaw understood where this conversation was going. She narrowed her eyes and looked away.

"Please understand that this is the good for ThunderClan," he went on when he noticed her silence.

When Copperpaw remained silent, Cinderheart rose to her paws. "I told you this was a bad idea," she hissed. "She's not ready for this."

It took Bramblestar a few moments to realize what Cinderheart was talking about. Than he blinked in surprise. He sighed and shook his head, suddenly looking defeated.

"Fine," he muttered crossly.

Without waiting for either of them to reply, the ThunderClan leader stalked away towards the fresh-kill pile. Squirrelflight gave him a sharp glare while Berrynose leaped out of the way. It appeared as though Bramblestar wasn't going to give this up without a fight.

Copperpaw knew full well that she should have taken on the responsibility of a Clan cat. Yet she didn't feel as though she was ready to protect it. Even Cinderheart had noticed how wary she was of changing into another animal.

She looked up at Cinderheart. The gray tabby only stared at her in disappointment and understanding.

"You're not the only one who didn't feel ready for battle," she meowed as she sat down beside her apprentice. "I can still remember my first battle against WindClan. It was vicious, and I was certain we would end in failure." Cinderheart shivered as she recalled the fight. Copperpaw would have never thought of her mentor as someone who was afraid to fight. Cinderheart always acted tough and difficult around cats like Lionblaze or Bramblestar. "I'm sure that you will make the right choice in the end."

Cinderheart rose to her paws after she finished speaking. Copperpaw stared after her as the gray tabby padded towards the fresh-kill pile.

By now most of the cats had come out of their dens. Copperpaw spotted her father sharing tongues with Hazeltail. Foxleap peered out of the warriors' den as his name was called. The morning patrol was getting ready to leave as the day rolled by.

_You'll make the right choice in the end_...Cinderheart's words rang in Copperpaw's mind as she thought of what Bramblestar had told her.

Could she really control her thoughts as a different animal? She'd never tried it before. Copperpaw shivered as she imagined what would happen if she forgot herself completely.

"I'm going to do it," she finally announced out loud.

The only attention she caught was that of Mallowpaw. He looked at her in confusion as she rose to her paws. "Do what?" he asked.

"I'm going to change into an animal, and see what ShadowClan is up to," she told him.

Mallowpaw's eyes widened in dismay. "But...what if the Clan views you as prey?" he demanded. "What if...I lose you?" He choked on the last question.

It didn't occur to Copperpaw how much she meant to her sibling. Over their past few moons of training they had grown apart. Now he was acting as though all of that never happened. Instead his gaze was filled with concern as he held her gaze.

"You're not going to lose me," she promised. "Lionblaze and Hazeltail won't either."

Mallowpaw didn't reply. He remained silent as he contemplated on her words. Finally he nodded and grinned. "After this maybe we can go hunting like we always wanted," he meowed.

"We'll be the best hunting pair in the Clan," she purred.

She knew that together they would make the best team in the Clan. After giving her chest fur a couple of quick licks, she padded over to the Highledge. Bramblestar's scent was still strong after he'd returned to his den.

_I can do it_, she thought as she gradually drew closer to the entrance. Her nerves were beginning to take over as she thought about it more.

Copperpaw let out a sigh. She peered into the darkness of Bramblestar's den.

He sat on the top of a nest made of moss and feathers. His amber eyes brightened when he recognized her pelt.

"I'll do what you need me to do," she announced when she entered.

Bramblestar nodded in understanding. "Very well," he meowed. "Than we will begin tonight."

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**A/U: I'm sorry about the abrupt ending. But you get to see what's going on with Copperpaw and the fox. You'll find out more when Flowerpaw comes out next. Anyways, the next person who reviews this chapter will get a Flowerpaw plushie!**


	20. Chapter 18: Divided Loyalties

**A/U: Thanks Son of The Sea 100896 and WildCroconaw for reviewing! You get Hawkflash plushies! *Tosses plushies into crowd* Anyways, this chapter is a bit short, yet it is an important one. I hope you enjoy :D**

**Chapter 18**

Cold distant stars gleamed above Flowerpaw's head as she cleaned out the remains of her nest. Most of ShadowClan camp was bustling with activity. There were two new warriors who had only just been named the day before. Frostclaw and Fallowfern were their names, and they were boastfully repeating their names to each other like a bunch of excited kits. A sharp remark from Owlclaw made both cats stop.

Towards the apprentice's den Spiderpaw and Vinepaw play-fought. Neither seemed bothered by what Flowerpaw had been doing over the last couple of days.

Her secret meetings with Stormpaw and Copperpaw had continued to go on unnoticed, much to her relief. The three of them were still trying to figure out what the meaning of their prophecy was. And why they were brought to the Clans.

On top of the secret meetings, Flowerpaw was facing another problem.

Hawkflash had been having bad dreams over the past couple of days. Many of them seemed to involve cats with devastating powers. According to her mentor, these cats would often come to the Clans and destroy them without question. Other times there would appear to be a mysterious shadow figure hovering around the Marked. That figure, according to Hawkflash, stopped the Marked from destroying the Clans.

_I wonder what the dream means_, Flowerpaw thought as she tossed her old moss into a pile outside of camp. She knew that the dream could mean anything at this point. Hawkflash had told her that every dream had a meaning. All cats needed to do was listen to them.

"Are you ready to look for herbs?" The sound of her mentor's voice made Flowerpaw jump in surprise. She spun around to face her, than flattened her ears in embarrassment. "Is something wrong?" Hawkflash asked as she approached more cautiously.

"No," Flowerpaw replied. "I was just thinking of what might happen if a predator came after us."

Her response was pitiful. Hawkflash's eyes gleamed with worry. Flowerpaw lowered her gaze when she realized that Hawkflash would see right through her lie. The medicine cat was wittier than most of the warriors in ShadowClan. She had earned that skill from Littlecloud.

"We'll be fine," Hawkflash murmured. "If anything happens to me you can use your powers to heal."

The ShadowClan medicine cat apprentice dipped her head in apprehension. Finally she could use her powers for something that would prove useful. Maybe once that happened Rowanstar would see her as an asset to the Clan rather than something that could be a danger.

Hawkflash padded out of the fern protected den. In the camp Tawnypelt was sharing tongues with Dawnpelt and Tigerheart. All three of them looked blissfully peaceful. None of them were aware of the dangers that surrounded the dream Flowerpaw had received. The dream itself felt like it had happened many seasons ago, when in reality it had only been several nights ago.

She needed to figure out more about the dream. Mostly Flowerpaw wanted to know why StarClan would refuse them. Or why they refused to speak with the cats who had been born Marked. Hawkflash was still unaware that something had happened between Flowerpaw and StarClan. She acted like nothing had happened at all around her mentor.

Soon they had reached a part of the forest where herbs were plentiful. Here the ground was marshy. A few good herbs grew around the marsh. Dandelion and chervil were a couple of the herbs that could be found here.

Flowerpaw sniffed the ground until she caught the distinctive scent of chervil. All around her the rich scents of ShadowClan could be detected. Yet there was one scent that stood out amongst all the others.

"Do you smell that?" she asked Hawkflash. The dark brown she-cat was digging up the chervil that had grown over newleaf and greenleaf.

Hawkflash's ears pricked forward with keen interest. "I smell ThunderClan," she growled through the stems.

Flowerpaw followed her gaze. The only things she could see were a few frogs that hopped about across the marsh. She could also see a distinctive shadow moving about in the cattails. Suddenly her eyes widened in dismay. The shape looked very familiar. And it smelled_ familiar_ as well.

She recognized the scent of Copperpaw all too well. The ThunderClan apprentice's scent was distinctive compared to her own Clan's scent. It was almost as if each of the Marked had a distinctive scent that set them apart from the Clans. Copperpaw smelled of the woods and ferns. Stormpaw smelled like damp weather.

"Show yourself you rat!" Hawkflash snarled. Her tail was bushed out to make it look twice its size. Only Flowerpaw remained on the defensive. She didn't want to hurt her friend unless she had to.

Before Flowerpaw had a chance to make out what was happening, a screech sounded in the air. She yelped in surprise when another cat ambushed Copperpaw. Flowerpaw didn't have time to react. Copperpaw moved faster than her attacker by transforming into an animal.

Hawkflash stared at the scene with a horrified gaze. Her sharp green eyes continued flashing as Copperpaw, or the badger, swiped at the mysterious attacker. Flowerpaw wasn't sure who the stranger was. Or where it had come from.

"Lets go before this gets dangerous," Hawkflash murmured after realizing waiting was pointless.

_What if she got hurt_? Flowerpaw thought worriedly. She felt guilty for feeling more loyal towards her friend than to Hawkflash. After spending so much time with those who were like her, her loyalties were becoming divided. _I know Rowanstar would never forgive me_, she told herself. _I have to think for my Clanmates_. Yet deep inside, a hole was being worn away. She knew that the others were beginning to feel this way. That sooner or later, a rift would form between the Clans and the Marked.

As if the thoughts had made them appear, a lithe figure emerged from the darkest part of the marsh. Flowerpaw wasn't that surprised to see him. Somehow it felt as though he had a reason for coming to her.

"You finally understand what is happening," he meowed. Flametail curled his tail as he watched her. His fur gleamed with starlight, making it appear as though it was on fire. "The Marked are dividing the Clans, little by little," he went on. "Sooner or later, a war will come. Only the Marked can undo the damage that has been created."

Flametail disappeared before Flowerpaw could ask what he meant. She continued to stare at the spot, as if it would drawl the attention of more StarClan cats. Instead only the snarls of Copperpaw and the cat remained.

Flowerpaw lowered her gaze as his words sank in.

The Clans were dividing themselves. And it was all because of the Marked.

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**A/U: I know the whole bit between Copperpaw and the other cat was random. But you'll find out who the cat is later on. Believe me, it's a shocker! And as you can see, the story is slowly coming to an end. Hopefully you all have enjoyed reading this so far. Please remember to review!**


	21. Chapter 19: Filler Chapter

**A/U: I can't believe I'm at chapter nineteen already! And thanks Son of The Sea 100896, PieInYaFace, and TheVampLuvr1 for reviewing! To answer PieInYaFace's question, I have a lot of free time on my hands. That means I have plenty of time to work on my writing. By the way, everyone gets Stormpaw plushies!**

**Chapter 19**

Fury swept through Rockpaw as he caught the familiar stench of the rogue that had crept around his territory for the last couple of moons. Leafpool had been creeping around and stealing prey from the WindClan cats over the last two moons. Now WindClan was beginning to pay the price for allowing her to live. Cats were starving as time passed on. The rabbits they relied on were growing scarce as leafbare quickly came.

He could hear a yowl of alarm from the distance. It sounded like it was coming from ShadowClan's territory. A primitive snarl rose within his jaws. This time he was not going to hold back. This time Rockpaw knew that he could end Leafpool's life once and for all.

The WindClan apprentice stalked towards the grove of trees, where the yowl of alarm had come from.

With his ears pricked forward, Rockpaw pinpointed the area. He recognized the lithe tabby shape of Leafpool. She was fighting with another creature of some sort. Rockpaw couldn't make out what it was until he drew closer. Than his eyes widened in surprise.

It was a dog-like creature, with broad shoulders and gray fur. The creature swung around when it heard Rockpaw's approach. This gave Leafpool enough time to flee. She hissed in agony from a bite that the creature had given her. Rockpaw growled furiously when he spotted her scurrying away from the scene. He didn't have time to react when the creature leaped forward with its fangs bared.

Rockpaw stood his ground and concentrated on a small rock nearby. The creature didn't know what hit it when the rock hovered above its head. It yelped in shock from the impact.

"That'll teach you to stay away from our Clans!" Rockpaw spat as the creature shook its head.

He was about to hurl another rock when a yowl echoed from the trees around them. Rockpaw's eyes narrowed menacingly when he spotted a tortoiseshell pelt moving across the undergrowth. Her amber eyes were wide with alarm and panic when she spotted the dog-like creature.

"Wait, don't hurt her!" she yowled.

The WindClan apprentice chose to ignore her. A moment later he sent another small boulder hurtling after the dog-like creature. It snarled viciously as blood splattered on the ground it stood above. Rockpaw hissed in agitation as the dog-like creature staggered forward.

"Copperpaw, stop," the tortoiseshell pleaded. "He's one of us!"

_One of us_? he thought. He skidded to a halt when the creature shook its head in confusion. Who was this apprentice aged cat? She reeked of ShadowClan, indicating that she had come from their side of the territory. The tortoiseshell stopped when the creature turned to face her. Blood dripped from its fangs, causing Rockpaw's fur to crawl in disgust.

"You're hurt," she murmured gently. Without waiting for the creature's reply, she stepped forward and touched its mouth with her muzzle.

Rockpaw's jaws had dropped by now at the sight. A strange looking light flashed as soon as Flowerpaw touched the creature's mouth. He had to squint against the harsh light. As quickly as the light appeared, it faded. Rockpaw didn't think his jaw could drop any lower when he realized that the wound on the creature's mouth was gone.

"You're...A Marked?" he asked.

The tortoiseshell glared at him as the creature lowered its gaze. "Yes, and so is she," she hissed. "You could have killed her."

"Who's her?" Rockpaw stared around in confusion. He couldn't see any other cat aside from himself and the tortoiseshell.

Before she could explain, the creature suddenly began to tremble. Rockpaw stared at the creature in utter shock as its body began to change. The long limbs of a dog soon changed into the powerful muscles of a cat. Pale amber eyes were replaced by sharp green eyes. Dark ginger fur lined the cat's pelt.

"C-Copperpaw?" he stammered. "I thought you were joking when you said you could change into animals..."

She glared at him coldly. "I guess I wasn't, right?" she hissed.

The WindClan apprentice flattened his ears in embarrassment. Normally he would have clawed her pelt off at her rude remark. There was something about Copperpaw that reminded him of a cat in WindClan. Her attitude towards other cats made him think about Sootpaw, a fellow apprentice he'd grown close to over the past couple of days.

The ShadowClan apprentice took a step forward. Her amber eyes gleamed with wariness as she looked at Copperpaw.

"What exactly were you doing on our side of the territory anyways?" she asked.

Copperpaw lowered her gaze. She suddenly looked as though she might burst from guilt. Rockpaw smirked when he realized that her intentions weren't as good as he'd expected.

"Bramblestar thinks that ShadowClan are invading the borders," she murmured. "He sent me to see what was happening."

The ShadowClan apprentice stared at Copperpaw in dismay. "You mean..._spy_?" she hissed.

"I'm sorry Flowerpaw," Copperpaw mewed. "I was just following orders."

Rockpaw watched the exchange silently. He could sense the tension building between Flowerpaw and Copperpaw, and it made him feel slightly amused. Normally it was him who caused the arguments. After all he had fought with Copperpaw when she tried to convince him that he needed to meet with the other Marked. He had spat at her paws when she told him that their meeting was important. Now it appeared as though the tables were turned.

He turned his gaze towards his own territory. The moors were silent as the sun began to sink down the mountains. He knew that a patrol could come by at any moment now.

"Look, I like this whole argument as much as the other WindClan cats, but we need to go," he finally meowed after a few stinging moments of silence.

Flowerpaw whirled around to face him, eyes burning with outrage. Than her gaze softened into understanding.

"You're right," she murmured. "Next time I see you on my territory it won't be so friendly," she growled to Copperpaw.

The dark ginger apprentice didn't say anything. Instead she skirted into WindClan's side of the border. Her green eyes were dark with embarrassment and guilt as she watched her friend leave. Rockpaw remained silent until Flowerpaw disappeared.

"You can get off of my territory too," he hissed irritably.

Copperpaw sighed and lashed her tail. "I never asked to be a Marked cat," she muttered. "All I wanted was to be normal."

For once Rockpaw felt sympathy towards her. He too had wanted to be a normal apprentice. To train alongside his sister and become the best warrior he could. Yet they had no choice but to follow what seemed to be a prophecy. Somehow their lives were never going to be normal. Not with the powers that coursed within them.

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**A/U: I hope you liked it! It was a bit random, but I think the ending was worth it. Anyways, please remember to leave a review, and this time you'll get Leafpool plushies!**


	22. Chapter 20: Twoleg

**A/U: Thanks WildCroconaw, Son of The Sea 100896, and PieInYaFace for reviewing! You all get Nightpaw plushies! Anyways, this chapter is a bit...odd. You'll find out why when you read it. I'm not very good at describing...certain things, so I suppose this is as good as it gets. I posted the summary for the sequel down below, so be sure to check it out when you're finished!  
**

**Chapter 20**

Cold northern winds pierced Stormpaw's pelt as he stalked through the bed of reeds. In front of him were Grasspelt and Duskfire. Both toms were busy chatting about the Gathering, which had ended peacefully as usual. Neither of them seemed to notice the tension building between ThunderClan or ShadowClan. The two Clans had been acting hostile towards each other from the beginning of the Gathering. Something that had clearly surprised and frustrated Stormpaw.

He often wondered why the Clans couldn't get along for more than one night. Even during a Gathering fights broke out. Cats would argue who's Clan was better. Some of these fights often turned into brutal contests.

His thoughts returned to the border patrol that Mistystar had placed him on. Apparently something had happened back at camp that forced her to stay. Now he was stuck with two cats who were constantly at each others throats.

Grasspelt, who was somewhat older than Duskfire, would come up with rude jibes against the ginger tom. Stormpaw was amused by their reactions towards each other. It gave the patrol a more fun way of searching the territory. Usually though he ignored them.

_I wonder how the other Marked are fairing_, Stormpaw thought as his senses returned to his friends.

Over the past couple of moons he'd become good friends with Copperpaw. She was a quick thinker when it came to battle tactics. Her skills as a hunter needed improvement, but she would make a fine warrior in battle. He was surprised that she didn't even need to change into an animal during battle practices. Often times she would judge what moves he was going to use next, and perform a defensive strike.

Flowerpaw on the other hand was a bit more complex. Her skills as a medicine cat were coming along nicely, but there was something odd about the way she acted. Stormpaw had begun to suspect that there was something bothering her. She was always so quiet whenever he spoke to Copperpaw during their meetings. To him it felt like she was keeping something from them. Something that would effect not only their lives, but the lives of the Clans as well.

Stormpaw shivered at the thought of what could happen if the Clans were effected. They were already on edge after the Marked had arrived.

Duskfire suddenly stopped near the edge of a small stream that fed into the lake. Stormpaw followed his gaze and was surprised to see a Twoleg sitting in an unusual object. The object was one that could float on water, and the Twoleg had thrown out a long piece of string into the lake.

"They never cease to amaze me," Duskfire muttered irritably. "Next thing you know they'll grow gills and start swimming around like fish."

"If that's the case, than maybe we can eat them," Grasspelt said as he joined them. "Although it is unusual to see them out this late in leaffall," he added. His tone held the slightest hint of worry. "We should report this to Mistystar before it sees us."

For once the two warriors agreed with each other. Stormpaw looked up to see that they were already leaving. He couldn't help but watch the Twoleg. There was something about the creature that fascinated him.

He wondered how a Twoleg could defend itself with such soft, vulnerable skin. The only fur he could see was on its head. The Twoleg itself mumbled something that vibrated over the water. Stormpaw was about to turn and leave when he heard a cry of alarm. His hackles rose in sheer terror when he realized the Twoleg was tugging at the string. It appeared as though a fish was trying to pull the Twoleg into the lake.

Panic flashed through Stormpaw as he watched. There was nothing he could do at this point. If he used his powers he could hurt the Twoleg, and Mistystar would be furious.

Suddenly the Twoleg grunted and heaved at the stick where the string wound around. Stormpaw's ears flattened in disbelief as the string plopped out of the water, revealing the shiny scales of a fish. It flopped around uselessly as the Twoleg nodded in satisfaction.

"Stormpaw!" The dark gray apprentice winced when he heard the familiar voice of Petalfur. "What are you doing?" she demanded as she drew closer. Her blue eyes were dark with worry as she pressed her muzzle on Stormpaw's forehead. "I would never forgive myself if I lost you," she added quietly.

"I thought you cared more about Nightpaw and Mistpaw," Stormpaw muttered. He was surprised by the way his mother was acting towards him. Most of the time she would ignore him, or spend more time with his siblings. He thought she was angry he was a Marked cat.

Petalfur's eyes lightened a little. She let out a sigh and flicked her tail tip.

"I care for all of my kits," she murmured. "You are no different from Nightpaw and Mistpaw."

Stormpaw shifted his paws as he watched the Twoleg leave the lake. It was past sunhigh now, and his belly grumbled with hunger.

"Can we go hunting?" he asked after silence filled the air. "I want to bring back prey for being late," he added.

His mother gave him an affectionate lick and nodded. The two of them waited patiently by the stream. Stormpaw watched with keen interest as Petalfur skillfully swatted a fish out of the water. Her movement was graceful, just like Mistpaw. She killed it before it could flop back into the safety of the stream.

Now it was his turn to catch something.

He gazed into the gleaming water. The shadow of a minnow was what had caught his attention. Stormpaw narrowed his eyes slightly, calculating where the minnow would go.

With the speed of a crane, he was able to swoop the fish out of the stream. He leaped onto it and gave it a swift killing bite. Petalfur didn't look surprised as he held the minnow between his teeth.

"You're learning fast," she meowed as she picked up her own prey. "I think you'll make a fine fisher when the time comes."

Dusk had arrived by the time they returned to camp. Cats were milling about as Stormpaw dropped two fish onto the fresh-kill pile. His belly was still rumbling with hunger, and the sight of Nightpaw and Mistpaw sharing a fish made him even hungrier.

Mistystar herself was still speaking with Grasspelt. She didn't seem surprised to hear that a Twoleg had been fishing on the lake.

Only Petalfur and Pebblefoot seemed to have been worried about Stormpaw's disappearance. Pebblefoot himself gave Petalfur a quick lick behind the ears, receiving a purr from his mate. She whispered something to the mottled gray warrior, and he nodded in agreement.

Stormpaw sighed as he grabbed a fish for himself. It wasn't the best choice for food, but Stormpaw didn't care. He was just grateful to have something he could eat. The dark gray apprentice sat by himself as usual. Mistpaw and Nightpaw were busy grooming themselves. By now they had finished their meal. The look Nightpaw gave her brother was one he had gotten used to over the past couple of moons.

_She's running out of ways to insult me_, he thought with a smirk. Nightpaw would be at a loss if he didn't react to her sneers. Her entire life had been brought up by teaching herself how to fight against the attention Stormpaw received. He would have felt sorry for her had she not been so smug about it.

Darkness had fallen by the time he finished with his meal. Stormpaw yawned and arched his back in a stretch.

His entire day had been uneventful, aside from the Twoleg. But at least he was able to spend a few moments hunting with Petalfur. She really did seem to care about him, despite the way she had ignored him during his kithood. Maybe she finally saw something she valued within him.

Eventually wariness was what had brought him back to the apprentice's den. Both Nightpaw and Mistpaw had returned. Each of them had their tails wrapped around their muzzles as they slept. For once Nightpaw actually looked sweet and friendly, something Stormpaw had never expected to notice. A small part of him wished that she had been Marked instead of him. Than maybe she wouldn't be so jealous. But destiny always made things different for every cat. And Stormpaw knew that he was no different from those other cats.

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**A/U: Oi that was a cheesy ending. But I liked most of this chapter the way it was written. Anyways, here's the summary for Marked, Book 2: Destiny's Call:**

**Something is wrong with the Clans. Tides are changing, and signs are rising in every direction. The Marked are forced to face their destiny head on, in a battle that could destroy everything. But are they ready to be put to the test?**

**I hope you're looking forward to it, I know I am!**


	23. Chapter 21: Leafpool

**A/U: Sorry that it's taken me so long to update. This chapter was rather difficult to write...but, the next one will give you Flowerpaw's full name, and believe me, you'll like it! Anyways, thanks Son of The Sea 100968 and TheVampLuvr1 for reviewing!**

**Chapter 21**

Stars glittered coldly above Copperpaw's head as she stared at the newcomer who had been brought to Bramblestar. The Clans gathered around her, confused mewls raising among them. Mallowpaw pressed against her, suddenly appearing smaller than ever.

The cat looked strangely familiar to Copperpaw. She was the same light brown tabby that had attacked her when Copperpaw was a wolf. Her amber eyes flashed with fear as she crouched before Bramblestar. His own gaze was filled with unmasked fury as he looked at her.

"Why have you come back?" he demanded.

The light brown tabby's fur was fluffed up in terror as she listened. "I...I wanted to find out what had happened to Firestar," she murmured.

"After she abandoned her own Clanmates?" growled Spiderleg. "I wouldn't let her back for all of the mice in the world!"

"She should have never come back," Whitewing whispered.

Bramblestar glared at the cats who had spoken out. He than looked back at the light brown tabby. Squirrelflight's own eyes were lit with interest as she watched. There were similarities between the two cats that Copperpaw hadn't noticed until now. Squirrelflight's muzzle had the same narrowed tip like the light brown tabby. One of her paws was white, just like this stranger.

Copperpaw narrowed her eyes. She wondered how Bramblestar would react to the light brown tabby's explanation.

"I don't think it's a good idea to let her back." All eyes turned towards Jayfeather, who was crouched beside Lionblaze and Hazeltail. "The Clans are still on edge, and they may take our acceptance as a threat."

The ThunderClan leader nodded in agreement. The light brown tabby's eyes widened in dismay as she watched the rest of the Clan mutter in agreement. Only Squirrelflight remained silent. Her green eyes were narrowed with anger as she listened to the meeting.

"Than the decision is as it stands," Bramblestar meowed. "Leafpool, I'm sorry, but you must leave. An escort will lead you out of camp."

He turned away before she could protest. Copperpaw's eyes had widened with surprise by the time he finished speaking.

So _this_ was the famous Leafpool every cat complained about. Her own grandmother. Copperpaw felt strangely offended to consider this cat as her kin. Leafpool had broken the warrior code by having kits. She was nothing but a traitor to the Clans as far as Copper could tell.

Yet there was something else that bothered Copperpaw. The look Jayfeather gave the former medicine cat was one that Copperpaw had never seen before. At least not one from him. It was a look of pity.

Lionblaze quickly padded away from his brother and over to Leafpool's side. He flicked his tail at Birchfall and Poppyfrost, who both joined him in unison. Copperpaw was surprised to see that Squirrelflight had joined them.

"Wait," she murmured. "Leafpool doesn't deserve to go on her own this time. I'm going with her."

The three warriors blinked in shock as Squirrelflight leaned against her sister. She didn't meet Lionblaze's gaze as he glared at her. Copperpaw knew that Squirrelflight had been feeling left out since her sister was banished from the Clans.

Copperpaw lowered her own gaze. The Clan was growing larger, yet they couldn't afford to lose any cats. She was afraid that the other Clans would view this as a threat. If they did, there was no telling what would happen.

Lionblaze only nodded in response. Squirrelflight didn't question him as she was herded out of the hollow by Birchfall. Poppyfrost stood on Leafpool's side.

After they left the camp grew silent. Copperpaw paced around the fresh-kill pile as she contemplated over the past events.

She couldn't help but rethink over what had happened between herself and Flowerpaw. The ShadowClan apprentice had been furious when she found Copperpaw on her side of the border. Copperpaw knew that Flowerpaw wasn't going to easily forgive her. And she couldn't blame Flowerpaw for not forgiving her.

"Anything wrong?" Copperpaw blinked when Cinderheart's concerned mew broke her thoughts. "I know that being Marked is a big responsibility for you. Maybe even life changing. But you shouldn't let it get in the way of your training."

Cinderheart looked down at her apprentice with a gaze that startled Copperpaw. Her gaze was filled with sympathy, something Copperpaw never imagined would happen.

"How can I be sure that it's my destiny to save the Clan?" Copperpaw murmured. "Jayfeather said I could destroy as well."

"That all depends on your choice," Cinderheart meowed. "Just because you _can_ destroy the Clan doesn't mean you _will_."

It took Copperpaw a few moments to realize what Cinderheart was saying. Than her own gaze brightened at the thought. She would use her powers for the good of the Clan. Never again would she use them to spy on the others. It was wrong, and Copperpaw felt as though she had really hurt Flowerpaw.

"I'll do whatever it takes to help my Clanmates," she growled determinedly.

"That is all we ever ask of you," Cinderheart murmured.

A purr rose in Copperpaw's throat as she watched her mentor join Poppyfrost and Toadstep. Of course Cinderheart cared about her. She knew now that her mentor wasn't just a heartless warrior like she originally thought.

Yet another thought rose within her. One that had been haunting her since she discovered her power.

Why were the Marked given these powers? And where did the prophecy come from? Sooner or later they would figure it out. And that was when the _real_ prophecy would begin.

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**A/U: I hope you liked it. Like I said before, this chapter was a challenging one. Anyways, please remember to read and review!**


	24. Chapter 22: Darkest Dream

**A/U: How's that for a long chapter? Almost three thousand words long. And hopefully descriptive enough to make you happy. Alright, two more chapters to go and than the epilogue. And I bet you can guess where the two cats came from ;P**

**Chapter 22**

Anger pulsed through Flowerpaw as she searched through the piles of herbs Hawkflash had gathered for her. Memories of seeing Copperpaw fight with the light brown tabby still coursed within her. She couldn't forgive Copperpaw for trespassing into her territory. Even if Copperpaw was her friend, she still put ShadowClan above everything else. Her devotion to the Clan would lead her to success.

Hawkflash had always told her apprentice that she should put her Clan first. Flowerpaw knew now that what her mentor said was important. Copperpaw's latest attack had not gone unnoticed. She had warned Rowanstar about what happened when she was looking for the herbs that Hawkflash had requested. The ShadowClan leader had been prompt in sending out more patrols to check the border.

As she sorted through a rotting leaf that belonged to the chervil Hawkflash kept, Flowerpaw wondered why all confrontation ended in a fight. Her argument with Copperpaw had ended on a bitter note. She had a feeling that her friend would not forgive her so easily either.

The tortoiseshell apprentice snapped the leaves that were rotten and tossed them into another pile. Tonight she would be traveling to the Moonpool with her mentor and the other medicine cats. The thought sent a thrill of excitement through her.

_I'll be earning my full name_, she thought to herself. Her two brothers had also earned their warrior names two nights ago as well. They were now known as Spiderfang and Vinefur. Both had acted boastful to Flowerpaw when she approached them. She tried to ignore their continuous kit-like behavior, but now they were getting to her. She too wanted her own full name. One that would show the rest of the Clans that she was fit to serve her own.

After she was finished organizing the leaves, Flowerpaw moved to her next assignment. Hawkflash had told her that Oakfur and Whitewater were complaining about aching joints again. Her mentor wanted to know if she could tell what was wrong with their muscles. Flowerpaw had already guessed that they were just stiff from lack of use. Whitewater rarely left the elders' den, since she was partially blind in one eye. Oakfur refused to leave even if he had to. He was becoming lazier than a well-fed mouse.

She padded past the patch of mushrooms that grew around the boggy ground. Fallowtail and Pinefrost were sharing tongues with each other near the fresh-kill pile. Bluepaw and Webpaw, the Clan's newest apprentices, were play fighting in a patch of sunlight. With leafbare on its way, Flowerpaw was sure that the sun felt good to them.

"Going to the Moonpool tonight?" Olivenose asked as she watched the apprentice. She had left the nursery soon after Dawnpelt had given birth. The cream furred queen had given birth to a litter of three kits, and their father, Redwillow, couldn't be more proud.

"Yes," Flowerpaw replied. "Hopefully it'll be clear out."

Olivenose flicked an ear tip in amusement. "You sound like Littlecloud when he used to leave," she murmured. "He would always complain about the clouds covering the moon."

Guilt stabbed at her heart as Olivenose mentioned the former medicine cat. Littlecloud had died last night, close before moonhigh. The Clan had sat vigil for him most of the evening. His death had sent waves of shock through Flowerpaw for most of the day afterwords. She was only just recovering from it.

"Maybe you'll see him in StarClan," Olivenose whispered when she noticed the look of sorrow in Flowerpaw's eyes.

_No I won't_, Flowerpaw tried to say. _StarClan have been ignoring me, and I don't think I'll ever see them_.

She mewed a goodbye to the mottled gray warrior and headed for the elders' den. It was located underneath a fallen boxelder tree. The den itself was much roomier than it looked. Inside it was a small dip in the ground, which provided many spots for the elders to relax in.

Sure enough, Whitewater was busy complaining about stiff joints as Hawkflash had warned. Oakfur just grumbled in agreement, occasionally telling Whitewater to shut it. The two cats would continue rambling on unless some warrior told them it was time for sleep. Flowerpaw chuckled in amusement as she pictured the look on Oakfur's face when a cat would tell him that. She could only imagine how furious Whitewater would be.

"It's about time you got here," Whitewater growled as Flowerpaw cautiously approached. "My joints have been acting up again, and I think it's the weather."

Flowerpaw ignored her and padded to Oakfur's side. The small brown tom only looked flustered when she sniffed his pelt.

"Have you been moving around much?" she asked.

"We don't have room to move around mousebrain," Whitewater snapped. "Why do you think we're outside all of the time?"

"You have to move around, otherwise you will lose strength within your muscles," she explained. "Perhaps I can take you out into the forest for exercises?"

Whitewater narrowed her eyes at such a suggestion, but Oakfur looked intrigued. "Exercise..." He mumbled the word until it sank in. "I suppose it could work, but what if we want to go out at any time?" he asked.

Flowerpaw had thought of that before Oakfur asked. She knew that they would hate her for it, but the apprentices could keep an eye on the elders. It could be used as part of their training. When she explained her idea, Oakfur looked even more interested. Even Whitewater seemed to like her plan. Soon Snaketail and Cedarheart were also in on the plan. All of the elders looked very keen to get started.

"I'll tell Rowanstar about the plan after I get back," she told them as the sun began to sink behind the trees.

The elders meowed their goodbyes as Flowerpaw raced after Hawkflash. The brown and ginger medicine cat was eager to get started on their journey. Flowerpaw knew that she had been listening to Flowerpaw's conversation with Olivenose and the elders. Hawkflash wanted to make sure that her apprentice was ready to take on the responsibility of a full medicine cat. She was pleased with the progress that her apprentice had made since they began training.

Not only was Flowerpaw a quick learner, but she had already memorized all of the herbs that were needed. It had taken Hawkflash several moons to memorize all of the herbs. Even the medicine cat apprentice before her had taken quite a long time. Though with the powers that Flowerpaw had, she wouldn't need herbs that often. Unless of course a cat got sick. As far as Hawkflash could tell, Flowerpaw didn't have the power to cure sickness or disease.

Soon the trees began to part into the rocky moors as they passed ThunderClan territory. The rich scents of ThunderClan mingled with WindClan. Flowerpaw recognized Kestrelflight's scent from the last time she had seen him. Jayfeather's scent was also strong, but she couldn't really see either medicine cat.

Hawkflash stopped when she reached an open spot of grassland. Flowerpaw was surprised to see Jayfeather sitting with a new cat at his side. It was a tortoiseshell and white she-cat with bright amber eyes.

"Hello," Flowerpaw meowed in a friendly tone.

"Hi," the apprentice replied shyly. "You smell like ShadowClan," she added with a wrinkle of her nose. Her reaction made Jayfeather cuff her over the ears, causing her to squeal in surprise. "Sorry," she murmured.

Flowerpaw purred in amusement as the apprentice lowered her gaze. "It's okay, I probably would have done the same," she said. "My name's Flowerpaw, what's yours?"

"Hollypaw," the apprentice mewed.

"Greetings Jayfeather, Kestrelflight," Hawkflash meowed with a dip of her head. "How are your Clans fairing against the colder weather?"

"We're doing fine," Jayfeather replied curtly. "Honeyfoot had a bit of a cough, but she got over it."

"Has anyone received news about the Marked?" Kestrelflight asked when he finished speaking.

Hollypaw's eyes widened at the mention of Marked. Flowerpaw guessed that the young apprentice never heard of her or Copperpaw. Or Copperpaw could have earned her warrior name by now.

"I'm afraid not," Jayfeather muttered with a shake of his head.

"I'm sure we will find out soon enough," Hawkflash growled as the medicine cat of RiverClan approached.

Fallenleaf, Kestrelflight's apprentice, sat patiently at his side. She had ignored Flowerpaw and the other medicine cats for the most part. Yet there was a calculating look within her eyes that sent a chill down Flowerpaw's spine. Fallenleaf was definitely a cat Flowerpaw didn't want to anger.

Soon Willowshine was at their heals. The gray tabby panted for a few heartbeats before she relaxed.

"We're is Mothwing?" Kestrelflight demanded.

"She couldn't make it because Minnowtail was giving birth," Willowshine explained in between breaths.

Jayfeather grunted and rose to his paws, ignoring all of them. Flowerpaw was eager to reach their destination as well, but she had more self control. She glared at the ThunderClan medicine cat as he led the way towards the Moonpool.

There was just something about Jayfeather that unnerved Flowerpaw. It always felt like he was probing her mind, searching for any flaws she could have. The look he gave her each time he stared at her made her fur crawl.

She tried to shake the thoughts away as the sound of running water echoed around them. The medicine cats had grown silent as they approached the Moonpool's entrance.

Each time they came Flowerpaw felt mystified by the power that emanated from it. It was almost like something was drawling her closer to its depths. The voices she heard each time they entered made her wonder who had once lived here.

_Sooner or later I will know_, she thought as she followed Hawkflash down the path.

Hawkflash stopped when she reached the edge of the pool. All of the medicine cats gave her questioning looks, except for Jayfeather. Flowerpaw narrowed her eyes at his knowing look. There were some things she would have rather kept a surprise.

"Medicine cats of the Clans, I believe that my apprentice is ready to receive her full name," she announced as they gathered around Flowerpaw. "I, Hawkflash, medicine cat of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help, she will serve her Clan for many moons. Flowerpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan, and protect all cats equally, even with you life?

Flowerpaw found it hard to reply. She swallowed what felt like a stone and meowed, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your true medicine cat name. Flowerpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Flowertail. StarClan honors you for your knowledge and abilities to care for every cat."

_Flowertail_. She grinned slightly at the name. It was one that suited her as she lifted her faintly spotted tail. She allowed Hawkflash to step forward and touch her forehead with her muzzle. The experience lasted for only a moment, but Flowertail knew that the memory would last forever.

"Flowertail! Flowertail!" The other medicine cats chanted her name, even Fallenleaf. Flowertail watched as they all joined her to share tongues with StarClan.

She couldn't imagine a better time as she leaned forward into a crouch. But once she had taken a drink from the Moonpool, all of her worries returned.

"Congratulations." Flowertail's fur bristled when she heard the familiar voice. She whirled around, only to meet the gentle gaze of Flametail. "I think she named you after me," he added with a widening grin.

"I'm sorry you never got to live the full life you expected," she murmured as her thoughts returned to normal.

Flametail cocked his head to one side, suddenly looking much younger than he was. "I always knew I was going to die," he meowed. "I didn't know when, but StarClan told me that my death would be quick."

She was surprised at how cruel that sounded. He didn't seem the slightest bit concerned about his death. In fact he almost looked happy.

"There's actually another reason as to why I've been following you," he added after she had settled down. "They didn't want me to tell you this, but I felt like it was necessary."

When Flowertail leaned forward, Flametail sighed. She knew that he was breaking some sort of a code for telling her. Yet she was surprised and furious that StarClan would have refused to give her any warning. What good was she to her Clan if she couldn't interpret messages?

"_A time of darkness is coming. One will split into five, leaving the others in their path. The Marked must leave, or battles will wage on forever_."

Her heart nearly skipped a beat when a vision unfolded before her. The clearing she had settled in changed into a field of flowers and grass. Only a couple of boulders lined the field. Yet out of the brightness of the field, was the stench of blood. Flowertail gasped in shock and pain when she saw the bodies of her Clanmates littered across the Clanmates. Cats from other Clans were there as well, soaking the grass in blood.

Flowertail tried to close her eyes, but something forced them open. What she saw next made her nearly cry out in horror.

Five cats paced along the outlines of the field. Their bodies were covered in different Markings. One was dark ginger, with dark green eyes. Another was brown and black, like the color of a boulder. The third was a dark stormy gray tom with yellow eyes. The last two were cats that Flowertail had never seen before. They looked identical to each other, yet both had different markings like the others.

She suddenly realized that this was the prophecy Flametail had warned her of. The dark times that lay ahead were because of the Marked. And StarClan wanted them to leave because of the prophecy.

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**A/U: So what did you think? Please remember to read and review!**


	25. Chapter 23: Border Patrol

**A/U: This chapter is rather short and pointless. But I had to write something, so here we go. Anyways, thanks PieInYaFace and Son of The Sea 100896 for reviewing!**

**Chapter 23**

Piercing emotions surged through Rockfall as he followed a patrol across the moor. After the last half moon and first snowfall, the brown and black warrior had earned his warrior name. Now he was patrolling the border with Stoneclaw and Leaftail. The ground itself had frozen underpaw. Rockfall felt the first bitter tang of leafbare, and he knew that there was nothing good about it.

His sister, Goldenpaw, had died just two days ago. It was a bitter blow to the young warrior, and he still felt a rush of fury towards ThunderClan for letting Leafpool live. Goldenpaw had starved to death. If Leafpool hadn't been hunting the rabbits that WindClan relied on, Goldenpaw wouldn't have died.

The young Marked warrior followed his Clanmates towards a hill, where they could overlook the forest. For once in his life, Rockfall would have liked to see Copperpaw. Or what ever name she had received. He knew that by now she would be a full warrior like himself. Her attitude towards him had not changed since they first met. She still acted the same way around other cats like she did when she was an apprentice.

At first her mood had startled Rockfall when he found her fighting Leafpool. But now he knew that she too was fighting the urge to kill the former medicine cat. It felt as though some primal instinct kept them from doing what they were told. Rockfall himself would have killed her in a heartbeat if he could, but Crowfeather had stopped him before that happened.

"I smell ThunderClan," Leaftail growled. His name-sake tail lashed with frustration as the shadows moved deeper into the woods. Rockfall could tell that the dark tabby wanted to fight with them. Leaftail was always looking for a challenge, especially one from ThunderClan. Since Leafpool's flight during Rockfall's failed mission, the older warrior had been itching to get revenge on ThunderClan cats. "Maybe we should take them?" he suggested to Stoneclaw.

"I don't think that's a good idea," the gray tabby replied with a shake of his head. "I'm guessing that they're looking for a fight too, which is why they're taunting us. The last thing we need are more injuries for Kestrelflight and Fallenleaf."

Rockfall growled irritably as the shadows disappeared. He knew that he could have easily destroyed them with one simple boulder. Hurling a boulder had become easy for him, and now he was becoming more advanced with them. If he concentrated enough, Rockfall could control a boulder and float in the air for a few heartbeats. This newly discovered ability had allowed him to become an even greater hunter than before.

"Lets go before they bring reinforcements," he meowed after mulling over the thoughts of battles. They weren't worth it. Not if it meant losing more lives.

The two older warriors grumbled in agreement. Leaftail led the way down the hill towards a small frozen pool. Rockfall was surprised that there were still patches of water that had not frozen. His amber eyes gleamed as he spotted pawprints in the snow.

"Recognize those?" he growled as the others gathered around him.

"They look familiar," Leaftail hissed. "Like that loner we spotted a few moons ago."

Rockfall bared his teeth at the thought of running into Leafpool. He knew that the light brown tabby would continue stalking the Clan until she had enough to eat. Her own safety relied on the prey that ran across the moor. If they ran into each other he wouldn't allow her to live. Not this time.

Leaftail and Stoneclaw exchanged surprised glances at Rockfall's reaction. Neither complained though as he quickly followed the pawprints. They weren't fresh, but they could explain who the cats were. Rockfall had a feeling that it was the former ThunderClan medicine cat. He knew that she would be living off of a Clan's territory before leaving them for good. Sooner or later she would grow tired of hunting rabbits, and if he was lucky, she would leave.

Soon they reached the edge of WindClan territory. The pawprints had faded by now, and Rockfall couldn't make out any scents. By now the sun had risen to its full height. Both Leaftail and Stoneclaw were looking exhausted after trekking across the territory.

He let out a sigh of defeat. There were no signs of Leafpool, and he had a feeling she wouldn't have spent much time out right now. It was getting colder and colder. Soon most of the prey the cats of WindClan ate would be hiding in their nests. With a lash of his tail, Rockfall followed his Clanmates back to camp.

The few trees that did grow around WindClan territory were sparse. Rockfall looked around as he spotted a small, scraggly looking tree. There weren't many leaves that covered the branches. It did make a good lookout post though. Sometimes Onestar sent his warriors to the trees as sentries. Rockfall himself had been sent to the trees many times during his apprentice training.

Silvery wisps of clouds began to surround the sun as they returned to camp. Leaftail immediately joined Crowfeather after they were greeted by Harespring and Sunstrike. Both cats were on guard duty, and had nodded to the approaching warriors. The camp itself was busy as cats returned from hunting patrols. Rockfall spotted Sedgewhisker grooming herself from outside the nursery. The light brown tabby was now expecting Harespring's kits, and she would give birth within a few moons.

"Any signs of an invasion?" Crowfeather asked as he joined Leaftail.

The dark tabby shook his head warily. "It seems like they're peaceful once more," he replied. "But we did find signs of a rogue wandering around the territory again," he added cautiously.

When Crowfeather's blue eyes flashed, Leaftail let out a low growl. Rockfall knew that he was thinking of Crowfeather's defensive stance towards Leafpool. The WindClan deputy had defended her when Rockfall had been ordered to kill her. The young Marked cat had been furious with him ever since.

"I wonder why they've been slinking around the borders," Harespring murmured as Crowfeather left them. "You would think that they would leave by now. There's no prey around to hunt."

The other cats who had heard the news quickly joined them. Rockfall listened to their mutterings as time went on. He had a feeling that there was a real reason as to why Leafpool was hanging around the edges. Perhaps she wanted to find out what was happening within her own Clan. Or maybe she was biding her time for a chance to come back. Either way, she was not welcomed in WindClan. And Rockfall would make sure that she knew.

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**A/U: I hope you guys liked this! I know it wasn't much, and it was probably very confusing. But there wasn't much I could think of to write, so I hope you enjoyed most of it...**


	26. Chapter 24: Another Filler Chapter

**A/U: Ugh, I went through this chapter and realized that it was horribly written. But I don't have time to edit, my sister is coming home for spring break and I won't have computer access for a week. So that means I am also posting the epilogue as well. Than I am taking a short break. Thanks WildCroconaw, SonofTheSea100896 and PieInYaFace for reviewing!**

**To WildCroconaw: I actually had Copperpaw's name picked out. But it won't be mentioned until the next book. Sorry, I may use the suggestions in another story I am planning though.**

**Chapter 24**

Stormstrike shivered as cold winds pierced his thick pelt. The sky had turned pale, signaling a storm that was rapidly approaching. He watched with keen interest as his newly found friend, Mossypool. After receiving his warrior name, the two had become closer than ever. On top of their new-found friendship, a queen had moved into the nursery. Troutfur was now expecting Mallownose's kits.

The Clan was in desperate need of kits. There weren't any other apprentices. Stormstrike, Nightfire, and Mistwing had been chosen to take on apprentice duties because of the need for their skills. Nightfire was furious that she had been chosen for cleaning out the elders' den. Stormstrike knew that his sister was hoping to take on the responsibilities of a mentor soon. She was aiming to become Mistystar's deputy.

He shook his head as a fresh blanket of snow began to fall. The lake around camp was beginning to freeze over due to the leafbare winds. Luckily RiverClan cats had a wider range of prey than WindClan. Stormstrike was skilled at hunting water voles and shrews. Sometimes he would find them hiding in their nests, and startle them with a spark of electricity. This had made him a valuable partner in hunting patrols.

"If this keeps up we'll never become full warriors," Nightfire grumbled as she carried a wad of moss out of the elders' den. Her black and gray tabby fur stuck out against the pure white snow. Stormstrike would have felt amused by her reaction had he not been annoyed by her arrogance. "I'm tired of cleaning out their nests," she added with a lash of her tail after dropping off the moss in a pile.

"Maybe Mistystar will give you one of Troutfur's kits to train," Stormstrike meowed as he tossed the moss into the stream beside them.

Her only reply was a snort. Mistwing emerged from the den with gleaming eyes. "We're done!" she announced happily.

"Thank StarClan," Nightfire sighed. "Lets go grab some fresh-kill."

Mistwing nodded and followed her sister towards the clearing. Stormstrike watched as they left, feeling remorse course through him. His silver tabby sister was nothing more than a follower to Nightfire. Mistwing needed to learn how to take care of herself. Nightfire was taking advantage of her sister.

_I don't know how she can stand being around her_, he thought with a shake of his head once more. The dark gray warrior left the elders' den before he could hear them complain about the cold. That was all Graymist and Mintfur seemed to do. Stormstrike wouldn't have minded, except he listened to everyone complain every day. Even his own mother would complain about the lack of fresh-kill on the pile.

Sooner or later leafbare would end. With the end of leafbare would come melting snow. The rivers would overflow with water, according to Mistystar. When this happened sometimes the Clan would have to move.

Stormstrike had yet to see his first snow melt, and he would quite glad that he hadn't. It seemed dangerous to live near the water during newleaf. Kits sometimes drowned if the water got too close to the nursery. He shivered at the idea of drowning to death. It sounded horrible, and he couldn't imagine a more dreadful way to go.

"You shouldn't be thinking about that." Stormstrike nearly leaped out of his pelt when he heard Mistystar's soft voice.

He turned around to face his former mentor with wide eyes. "I...I," he stammered.

"It's okay," she murmured. "Every cat fears death. I was afraid to die after watching my own brother suffer under the claws of Tigerstar." She closed her eyes at the bitter memory. The images of that day still haunted her dreams. "But I know now that when we die, we go to StarClan. One day I will see him again, as well as my father."

Stormstrike tilted his head at the mention of her father. He had heard stories of the brave Oakheart. The former RiverClan deputy had died during a battle against Sunningrocks, a legendary place where battles were constantly waged between RiverClan and ThunderClan. According to legends Tigerstar had claimed that Oakheart killed Redtail during battle. Yet Oakheart himself had been killed as well during the same fight.

Only Firestar had been able to prove that Oakheart had died when a boulder collapsed during the fight. Redtail had been murdered by Tigerstar, and the treacherous cat had used Oakheart's fight as a tool to gain trust with Bluestar.

The story was a popular one, and the elders continuously reminded the apprentices of it.

"You would make a fine leader someday," Mistystar whispered after a few moments of silence.

Her comment made Stormstrike blink in surprise. He never knew how much faith Mistystar had in him. The thought made him wonder if he was really cut out for leadership. After all, he was a Marked cat. This meant he had a huge advantage over any other warrior. He could easily destroy any opponent with a jolt of electricity.

When Mistystar turned to speak with Pebblefoot, Stormstrike used this as an opportunity to slip away. He wanted to speak with Flowerpaw. Or whatever her new name was. By now she should have earned her full name. It had been nearly a moon since he last met with Flowerpaw and Copperpaw.

The leaves on the trees had begun to fall. Stormstrike narrowed his eyes as the ferns underpaw tickled his pads. They were frozen from the frost that had taken over the forest and lake. Now with the snow that covered them, the feeling was even more strange.

His ears swiveled forward when he caught a familiar scent in the air. Stormstrike came to a halt near an oak tree with all of its leaves missing. They were the first leaves to drop during the beginning of leaffall.

A tortoiseshell pelt moved within the snowbanks. Amber eyes looked up in surprise when the cat noticed Stormstrike's presence.

"Stormpaw?" she called hesitantly.

"It's me," he replied in a low whisper. He wasn't sure if she had any others with her. The RiverClan warrior didn't want to hurt her Clanmates anymore than she didn't want to hurt him. "Although I go by the name of Storm_strike_ now," he added with a lift of his chin.

Her eyes widened when he looked at her. "That's great!" she purred. "I've earned my full medicine cat name as well," she murmured. "I go by the name of Flowertail."

_The name suits her_, he thought as she swiped her dappled tail across the snow. "I'm glad we could both earn our names," he mewed after settling down. "Have you heard from Copperpaw lately?" he asked.

Flowertail looked down at her paws at the mention of Copperpaw. When Stormstrike tilted his head in confusion, she looked up with blazing amber eyes.

"She trespassed on our territory under Bramblestar's orders," she growled furiously. "I haven't forgiven her for destroying part of our catmint."

"Why would she do that?" he asked. Copperpaw had seemed like a fairly decent apprentice. There was just something about Flowertail's story that bothered him.

"I don't know," she replied. "But there's something more troubling than her to worry about," she added more quietly. "I've received a prophecy...and it involves us."

Stormstrike's eyes grew even wider as she described the dream she had when she went to the Moonpool. According to her vision the bodies of her Clanmates had littered the forest. The Marked cats were the ones who had caused their deaths.

"What Flametail told me seems to be true," she murmured. "Yesterday Ferretleap was killed by a badger. Luckily a patrol was able to scare it away but...I can't help but wonder if that badger was Copperpaw."

_I doubt it_, Stormstrike told himself. He refused to believe that Copperpaw would do such a terrible thing. She was just too gentle and caring to commit a crime like that. Yet somewhere deep inside the Marked warrior felt suspicions rise within him. Something told him that Copperpaw could commit a crime like the one Flowertail had described.

"How is your Clan coping with leafbare?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"We're doing fine," she replied. "Dawnpelt gave birth to Owlclaw's kits not too long ago. They're all a bit over excited, but they'll settle down soon."

Stormstrike purred at the thought of kits. ShadowClan seemed to be fairing well after all. There really was no need to worry about any of the Clans. WindClan could take care of itself if they needed to. They could easily hunt squirrels in the forest that Firestar had given them.

There was something that still bothered him though. It was a something that had bothered him since he first met Flowertail. He wanted to know why the Marked were placed within the Clans. And he wanted to know what would happen in the future. How the Marked would effect the future of the Clans, and the rest of the world around them.

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**A/U: Once again I am sorry for the horrible writing of this chapter. It was written in a hurry which would explain why it ended so abruptly. I'll try to edit it the following week when I'm sick of playing the new Pokemon game. By the way, who is getting Pokemon White?**


	27. Chapter 25: Birth of Sky

**A/U: Well, here is the epilogue. Just in case people may have missed it in my other author's note, I will be playing Pokemon White for most of next week. Which means I won't be posting the next book until Friday or Saturday. Thanks to those who have kept up with the story, and I can't believe I reached as many reviews as I did! You all get...Snowkit plushies!**

**Epilogue**

Snow fell heavily down the gorge. Cats milled about as a queen gave birth during the night. A large ginger tom stood near a smooth rock, looking into a large cave with worried amber eyes. The sharp cry of a wail broke the eerie silence that had fallen among them.

"It sounds like she's in pain," murmured an elderly black and white tom.

"She'll be fine," the ginger tom snapped. "Ravenwing said that it would be difficult the first time."

"It's okay Flamespeckle," mewed a tortoiseshell she-cat. "I've done it plenty of times and it always hurts."

The ginger tom nodded curtly to the older she-cat. His respect towards her had grown over the last few moons when she saved a bundle of kits from a passing fox. The tortoiseshell known as Cherrytail had many of her own daughters and sons within the Clan. Not surprisingly, he was one of them.

A pale gray and white queen emerged from the nursery with proud looking eyes as the wail subsided. "The first one has arrived," she announced.

"Thanks for telling us, Creekfeather," Flamespeckle meowed as she dipped her head.

He rolled his eyes as she disappeared back into the nursery. Creekfeather had always been a bit lightheaded. For some reason she always did things at the wrong time. Like this instant. Now that he knew the first one had arrived, his anxiety would grow.

The Clan had settled down after silence fell upon them once more. A dark brown tabby tom with a gray muzzle stood beside a broad shouldered ginger and white tom. Flamespeckle had known these cats for his entire life. Sparrowstar and Bouncefire.

Sparrowstar had served the Clan for many seasons, while Bouncefire was his deputy. Most of the Clan had been shocked when Sparrowstar named Bouncefire as the new deputy of SkyClan. But after a few moons of serving the Clan he had proved to be a fine asset to it.

It felt like seasons had passed before Ravenwing emerged from the nursery. His gray muzzle peered out of the den, making Flamespeckle look over his shoulder in surprise.

"Her kits have arrived," he announced. "You may see her if you want."

Flamespeckle wasted no time in barreling past a long-legged light brown tabby. He hissed in irritation as Flamespeckle ducked his head.

The darkness of the nursery quickly swallowed him. It took Flamespeckle a few heartbeats to adjust with the darkness. When his vision cleared, he spotted the familiar pelt of his mate. She was a lean looking gray and white she-cat, with gentle looking blue eyes.

It was her blue eyes that always seemed to drain away any frustration Flamespeckle would carry. She was caring and affectionate towards him. Her different ways of treating him had always attracted the ginger warrior. And the results of that attraction were nuzzling at her belly.

Two tiny kits wriggled around, searching for milk. Their mewling made Flamespeckle's shoulders sag. He couldn't feel more proud as he watched them. One was ginger with gray flecks around its hide. The other was ginger and white, with a single gray ear.

"They're beautiful," he managed to say as he leaned forward to nuzzle her.

"They look like us," she purred. She couldn't hide the pride that filled her voice. Creekfeather looked on with a hint of jealousy in her eyes. "Shall we name them?" she asked after her tail had wrapped around his.

When he nodded, Flamespeckle began to mull over different names that would suit SkyClan. His own name had come from his ginger dappled pelt. Cherrytail had always told him that it reminded her of a flickering flame. Originally she wanted to name him Flickerkit, but Sharpclaw had discarded the idea immediately.

"Why don't we name the gray and ginger one Sablekit," he suggested.

His mate looked at Sablekit and nodded with gleaming blue eyes. "And the ginger and white one can be Snowkit," she added after pointing her tail towards her daughter.

"Sablekit and Snowkit," Flamespeckle murmured. "Welcome to SkyClan."

After nuzzling his mate once more and listening to Creekfeather's complaints, he left the two to themselves. Ravenwing was sitting outside of the nursery. His yellow eyes were dark with worry as Flamespeckle passed him.

"Did you notice...anything unusual about them?" he asked.

"No," Flamespeckle replied. When he looked at the medicine cat in confusion, Ravenwing looked startled.

"I think...that there is something different about your kits," he meowed after a while. "I must consult with StarClan about this.

Flamespeckle lashed his tail as Ravenwing left him. There was nothing wrong with his kits. They were both perfectly normal, and that was final. Flamespeckle would make sure that nothing dangerous ever happened to his kits. They would lead a happy, normal life like him. Like they deserved to live.

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**A/U: So what did you think? I know it was a bit short, but I wasn't sure what else to add. Sablekit and Snowkit will both have a chapter together. So it'll be cut off in each of their chapters. The Marked will still have their own chapters, so don't worry about that. Please remember to review!**


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